“I feel like I’m coming alive.” That’s how Matthew Teitelbaum, director of the Art Gallery of Ontario, describes how he feels when he comes through the doors. The transformed building, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is an oasis of art and inspiration.
Sparks almost appear to fly off the building as you approach it. A ribbon of glass, the length of a city block, is wrapped around the building and reflects the urban scenes of the neighborhood that surrounds it—streetcars, Chinese restaurants, coffee shops and passers-by. Two sweeping glass masts take your gaze up toward the sky.
The glass facade is the glitziest part of the $276 million revamp finished in November 2008 and most typical of Gehry’s signature exuberant style. Inside the flashiness fades, but the grandeur remains, leaving an uplifting, inviting and warm space.
Gehry believes that buildings have a relationship to art that can’t be avoided even with neutral designs. “No character is some character,” he says. “It has to feel like a room you want to live in, rather than an ice box.”
You’d want to live here. If you have the time, spend an entire day at the museum. It’s designed to be savored, meandered and pondered rather than rushed through. Chaise lounges are placed throughout, so you can even lie down as you gaze at the artwork.
Hungry? There’s the acclaimed Franks, AGO’s new restaurant, for an upscale yet casual dining experience. The AGO Cafe, a self-service eatery, is the place to go to grab a quick sandwich or something sweet. Satisfy your caffeine craving at the Espresso Bar on the top level of the new Centre for Contemporary Art, where you can sip a cappuccino and enjoy the view of Grange Park. Once recharged, you’re steps away from the exhibits.
A gallery tour
Once past admissions, you enter Walker Court—an original feature of the AGO. Today, light streams in, thanks to the new glass top that has replaced the roof. This is where you get your first view of the striking sculptural staircase, 138 steps of spiraling steel tubes covered with Douglas fir. Although daring and flamboyant, the curves and the wood soften the effect. The airy Walker Court and the staircase also make the museum easier to navigate and give you a wider perspective of the its extensive collections.
With 110 galleries, the museum now has more than 4,000 works of art on display. Everyone will have their favorites, but be sure not to miss the Rubens’ 17th century masterpiece, “Massacre of the Innocents,” a dark, haunting painting filled with vivid scenes of grief and violence. Rubens captures the horror with unparalleled skill and detail that can’t fail to draw you in. The late Ken Thompson, businessman and philanthropist, donated his large, private collection to the AGO. He purchased the Rubens in 2002 for $76.7 million, the highest price ever paid for an Old Masters painting. You can see this powerful work, along with other Rubens’ paintings on loan from the National Gallery in London, in the Thompson European Collection.
The dramatic effect of towering firs and glass is magnified in the Galleria Italia. The 450-foot arcade is truly awe-inspiring. The giant curving beams that support the endless glass make you feel like you’re walking through an enchanted forest. Suspended above the city street, the gallery provides a close-up view of Dundas Street and all of its eclectic charm. Light fills this energizing and inspiring space, and you’ll want to return to it again and again as you visit the many galleries connected to it.
Bringing light in and controlling it was an important aim in creating the new AGO, explains Craig Webb, a senior partner at Gehry International Architects. This, he hoped, would “relieve museum fatigue and reconnect it to the city.”
Toronto itself becomes an exhibit when seen through the glass walls of the Barnicle Staircase that connects the fourth and fifth floor. Looking out, old Toronto landmarks like the CN Tower share the skyline with new institutions, like the Ontario College of Arts and Design, a bold, checkered building on stilts that was designed by architect Will Alsop.
The effect of natural light on the art was another reason why bringing light in was such an important factor in the building’s redesign. Some of the galleries now have large, deeply set skylights high above the art set at angles to avoid damage. The result is a symbiotic relationship between the exhibits and the space in which they are mounted. Take a look at the Arctic landscapes by Lawren Harris, a member of the Group of Seven, Canadian artists famous for their dramatic, stylized landscapes. In this light, the ice glows and the blue hues shimmer, adding more depth to Harris’s already luminous landscapes.
First Nations and Inuit art are placed throughout the galleries providing a cross-cultural perspective that underlines the significance of these works. The specially designed cases that hold the works give visitors an intimate view of these important pieces. The glass cases mirror the glass facade of the building itself, emphasizing again the relationship between the building and the collection it holds.
Art, design, light and the city all come together at the Art Gallery of Ontario creating an experience that truly inspires. – www.ago.net
Find the AGO along with more than 200 other attractions and 1400 photos in the Toronto Essential Guide iphone app.- http://sutromedia.com/apps/Toronto_Essential_Guide . Featuring google maps, offline content, free updates and insider information that goes beyond the generic blurbs or unfiltered lists of free apps, it’s the only guide you’ll need on your visit to Toronto.