Stairway To Heaven
While in Toronto recently, I had the pleasure of touring the renovations at the Art Gallery of Ontario. A proud feature of these additions is the grand staircase designed by renowned Architect, Frank Gehry. Here is a description from the AGO website:
Starting from a second-floor walkway and continuing up through the glazed roof above Walker Court, the sculptural staircase spirals dramatically as it scales the three-storey height of the new south tower. Its unique curvature juxtaposes with the boxshapes of the new tower and the existing building, creating an architectural dialogue not only between the classical and the contemporary but also between the past and the present.
“It ties the building together in a dramatic and beautiful way,” says Linda Milrod, program director, Transformation AGO. “The placement of the sculptural staircase on a central axis will ensure that people always have a sense of where they are in relation to the new entrance lobby.”
“At times people will feel quite enclosed by its walls,” notes Milrod, “but as they round a curve, the relative height of the walls will be lowered to reveal the most breathtaking views of the city – much like watching a great movie on the big screen.”
Although the staircase is grand in scale, its circulation route is both narrow and humanly scaled to encourage casual meetings between visitors. “It’s how Gehry envisions people using the building,” says Milrod. “It’s about social interaction while surrounded by art.”
Read MoreStarting from a second-floor walkway and continuing up through the glazed roof above Walker Court, the sculptural staircase spirals dramatically as it scales the three-storey height of the new south tower. Its unique curvature juxtaposes with the boxshapes of the new tower and the existing building, creating an architectural dialogue not only between the classical and the contemporary but also between the past and the present.
“It ties the building together in a dramatic and beautiful way,” says Linda Milrod, program director, Transformation AGO. “The placement of the sculptural staircase on a central axis will ensure that people always have a sense of where they are in relation to the new entrance lobby.”
“At times people will feel quite enclosed by its walls,” notes Milrod, “but as they round a curve, the relative height of the walls will be lowered to reveal the most breathtaking views of the city – much like watching a great movie on the big screen.”
Although the staircase is grand in scale, its circulation route is both narrow and humanly scaled to encourage casual meetings between visitors. “It’s how Gehry envisions people using the building,” says Milrod. “It’s about social interaction while surrounded by art.”
