It’s a hot summer day in the city and we are dreaming of the cool waters of Ontario’s lakes. Fair weather boaters might take it for granted that boat design is simple – keeping the boat afloat is the main goal, right? But a closer look at the designed object with an eye to problem … Continue reading Ready for the Weekend: Boating, Vikings and Bailing
A colleague is currently posting on social media about his pilgrimage through Northern Spain, and I am reminded of the enduring lessons of Romanesque pilgrimage churches in that area of the world, especially how the built environment can be shaped to support ritual and user experience. Today there are many people who undertake a pilgrimage … Continue reading In the Footsteps of Others: Planning the Pilgrimage Church
During a recent trip to Ottawa, I toured the National Gallery of Canada’s feature show – Gauguin: Portraits. I was with my 14-year-old son and we were both impressed. Not only did the exhibition invite us to re-consider what can be considered a ‘portrait’, especially in the context of Gauguin’s artistic project, it featured engaging … Continue reading Talking About “Gauguin: Portraits” at the National Gallery of Canada
The exhibition “Treasures of a Desert Kingdom: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India” is in Toronto for the summer. Installed at the Royal Ontario Museum, it explores the rich legacy of the Maharajas of Marwar-Jodhpur, as seen in their patronage of the arts, devotion to their gods, and the central role of women as members … Continue reading Dreaming of the Desert Sun in the ROM’s Basement
Last summer (August 2017) saw the opening of a newly-renovated and expanded Broadview Hotel, situated on the North-west corner of Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue in Toronto’s east end. At that time, I stopped in for a visit and was prompted to write a series of posts about the design of the café interior … Continue reading Re-view: How Furniture Defines Interior Space at the Broadview Hotel Café
Heritage Toronto – a charitable agency of the City of Toronto – has issued an open invitation to participate in its online “State of Heritage Survey.” (Follow this link) I recently attended a tour that Heritage Toronto facilitated as part of Doors Open Toronto 2018, and I enjoyed the experience. I’m interested in heritage not … Continue reading Heritage Toronto Survey
This summer, one of my research projects is concerned with Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1. Looking back at a project born in the new millennium has me thinking about lessons for the future. Officially opened in 2004, Terminal 1 was designed by a joint venture known as Airports Architects Canada that was made up … Continue reading Time-Travelling back to YYZ Terminal 1
A little late to this story, I know, but during my recent holiday I became interested in how landscape design supports the fitness routine of Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Is it News? Normally, the fitness habits of a world leader are not particularly news-worthy. For a brief moment last month, however, this … Continue reading Landscape Design in the News
Last week, I attended a lecture given by Philip Beesley as part of the ROM Daytime Lecture series. Beesley spoke about his long-standing experimental architectural practice with the Living Architecture Systems Group. Beesley and his collaborators investigate the possibility of a living architecture – next generation interactive environments – by combining artificial intelligence with a … Continue reading Beesley’s Question: Can Architecture Come Alive?
Doors Open Toronto provides architecture enthusiasts with a yearly opportunity to experience interiors that are not usually available for public access. For May 26-27, 2018, organizers have devised a particularly photogenic theme “Film: the Great Romance.” (link: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto/) While the destination list includes some new opportunities to gather insight into Toronto’s creative film industry, there … Continue reading My Top Five Interiors to Visit at ‘Doors Open Toronto’ 2018
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