The new structure, protruding from the old neo-Romanesque building of the museum, is named "Crystal" - for the obvious similarity of its forms with this geological formation. But its height of 37 m and the energy with which it practically escapes from the block of the main complex ROM, makes us recall other phenomena in this sphere: collisions of tectonic plates, volcanoes and earthquakes.
Such associations for construction, which showcase the museum's natural science collections, art collections from Africa, Asia and the Americas, and an exhibition on the history of costume, are somewhat unexpected. It should be noted that Libeskind is now repeating and developing the forms that delighted critics and the public in the project of the Jewish Museum in Berlin in buildings bearing a completely different semantic load: in art museums and residential buildings, among which there was a "Crystal" the name of the patron who donated the main funds for its construction - Michael Lee-Chin.
But the architect himself explains that his project was inspired by crystals of various minerals that he saw on display at the Royal Ontario Museum and immediately sketched a sketch of the future building on a paper napkin. In his opinion, the new wing, full of internal dynamics, will breathe life not only into the museum that has stopped in its development, but also into the entire adjacent area of Toronto.
Despite the fact that it would be difficult to expect self-criticism from Daniel Libeskind in this case, there is more truth in his words than it might seem at first glance.
Bloor Street, on which the "Crystal" is turned, even opponents of the project call boring and monotonous, and the Royal Ontario Museum really needed an update of its appearance. His management invited Libeskind to design an extension to the old museum, because ROM's popularity among townspeople and tourists was steadily declining. Now, in connection with the heated discussions about its new wing in the world press and the magnificent opening ceremony, even those who did not even suspect of its existence drew attention to the museum.
But is the role of "Crystal" exhausted by a good reason for an advertising campaign for a provincial museum?
The interiors of the structure, clad in aluminum and reminiscent of heaving ice, are unexpectedly calm and even graceful. Unlike
The new building of the Denver Museum of Art, also designed by Libeskind and opening last fall, Toronto's lobbies and exhibition halls are perfectly suited to their function. Perhaps this is the merit of the museum workers who took an active part in the development of the project (in particular, they convinced the architect to make the main material of the walls of the "Crystal" metal, not glass, in order to avoid the harmful effects of sunlight on most of the exhibits), but the fact remains: the new ROM spaces are suitable for their purpose and make a pleasant impression on the visitors; but for a museum this is more than enough.
A significant part of 16 thousand square meters. m of squares "Crystal" is occupied by transitional spaces: the vestibule, the atrium and the main staircase, and the last two are, in the Libeskind style, loud names: "House of Spirits" and "Ladder of Miracles".
The lobby unites the new building and the two old wings of the museum, allowing visitors to orient themselves and choose the route they are interested in. From it you can get into the atrium, designed for various social events. It is crossed in different directions by narrow bridges connecting the east and west exhibition halls; it is also constantly filled with sounds: from the noise of the wind to the singing of birds and human voices, hence its name.
The Stairway of Miracles not only connects all five floors of the building, but also plays the role of an exhibition hall: showcases with more than 1000 exhibits from various museum collections are installed on it: from tin soldiers to deer antlers. From it you can get to the dinosaur gallery on the second floor, to the halls of art from Africa, America and East Asia on the third, or to the Institute of Contemporary Art on the fourth. On the fifth level, at the very top of Kristall, there is a restaurant with panoramic views of the city.
The museum itself is a cultural institution that will last for centuries, and it is too early to judge the success or failure of Libeskind's new building: only a few weeks have passed since its opening. But a good start is half the battle, and in Toronto it all started better than one might expect.
