Frank Gehry's AGO Springs a Leak

The new and improved Art Gallery of Ontario opened to much fanfare following major renovations by famed architect Frank Gehry - and justifiably so. The visually stunning staircase that winds and curves through the heart of the gallery is truly remarkable. But just months after opening to the public, we're already seeing a problem.

A few days ago, the Globe and Mail reported that condensation and leaks were becoming an issue in the stair well. Yesterday (on an awwwwesome rainy day first date), I went to the AGO and saw it first hand.

There's a hole in your building, dear Gehry, dear Gehry.

With what shall we fix it, dear Gehry, dear Gehry?

With a bucket, dear Gehry, dear Gehry...

And some fans, dear Gehry, dear Gehry...

And some towels, dear Gehry, dear Gehry...

And a lawsuit? Dear Gehry?

The problem begets several questions...

Who is responsible for the flaws that led to leaks? Are there drainage flaws in the design itself? Flaws in the construction or materials used in construction? Are Gehry's wild and imaginative architectural concepts simply too difficult to execute? How much of this has to do with our wacky freeze/thaw weather patterns of late?

These questions and more are sure to come up. Much like they did when the Frank Gehry-designed Stata Center at MIT Cambridge (depicted below) had water leak issues that resulted in MIT suing Ghery's firm and the construction company that did the build.

Photos by Photosapience.