Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto – Toronto

“I particularly remember visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. I love the architectural design and the wide array of artworks. I enjoy being in the building and appreciate the cohesion of each of the spaces as well as the sense of variety from space to space.

I have fond memories of visiting the gallery with my children, when they were still toddlers. They loved to wander the building and play in the various spaces. Though there were rules (don’t touch the art, generally) the space was open and flexible enough that there was always something for kids to climb on and explore while me and my wife were able to appreciate the art. Staff of the gallery also seemed good at knowing when to intervene to protect valuable artwork and when to hang back and let people (kids, in my family’s case) do their thing.

For me, the building’s atypical shape and arrangements of rooms provided a sense of discovery: you never quite know what to expect as you enter a certain chamber, climb a certain set of stairs etc. To me, this makes the space seem playful as opposed to rigid and bureaucratic. It is public without being managerial.

I think my favorite space in the gallery was always the Galleria Italia that runs along the Dundas-facing side of the building. The Douglas Fir materials feel distinctly Canadian, locating the building within a national environment. Though the space is narrow, it is long and the ceiling is high, so it nonetheless feels open… not unlike being in a fir forest. It also inverts the galleries relationship to its surroundings: from this gallery you look outwards onto busy Dundas Street. The city, in this sense, becomes part of the exhibit. This helps locate the gallery specifically within its urban surroundings.” (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.72).

Google map link: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Musee+des+Beaux-arts+de+l’+ontario/@43.6536066,-79.3950872,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x882b34c5ed5319bd:0xda277755ede046af!8m2!3d43.6536066!4d-79.3925123!16zL20vMDJ2eWxy?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxOC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D