The Gardiner Museum is one of the world’s leading institutions dedicated to the art of ceramics and the only museum of its kind in Canada. The renovation project aims to promote cultural renaissance of Toronto and next to the Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal Conservatory of Music, will form a new cultural district within the city.
The renovation focuses on the top of the original structure, designed by Keith Wagland in 1984. The expansion of third level and the extension of the original access to the street seeks to create a more bold, intimate scale while respecting the original design.
The pink granite exterior was replaced by polished limestone beige, to generate a dialogue with the historic facades and gables of the adjacent buildings, neo-classical style.
The front of the museum was completely re-landscaped with a series of stepped platforms that lead the museum into the street “and create a series of inviting outdoor spaces.
The strategic addition of 1300 m2 allowed the new museum will house international exhibitions of contemporary works and can display permanent collections. The reuse of underground parking, dug a meter, creating a space that accommodates educational studies, community outreach programs and research activities.
