Material Supplied: 47,987 sq. ft. of blue #26 titanium
In 2004 the AGO embarked on a $276 million redevelopment plan by architect Frank Gehry, called “Transformation AGO”.
In November 2008, the AGO reopened with notable elements of the expanded building including a new entrance aligned with the gallery's historic Walker Court, and a new four story south wing, clad in glass and blue titanium provided by Prime Metals. All overlooking both the Grange and Grange Park.
The acclaimed expansion was noted for the restraint of its design as the the Globe and Mail called a "restrained masterpiece". By his standards, it was to be done on the cheap, for a mere $276-million. Instead of tearing apart the old museum, Mr. Gehry’s immense talent allowed him to carefully thread new ramps, walkways and stairs through the original.
Due to the expertise only processors have, Prime Metals worked with the architect in the conceptual stages all the way up until the product was delivered. In total we supplied approximately 47000 sq ft. of 0.4 mm cladding in 24” x 48” panels.
Project Background Information
The museum was founded in 1900 and incorporated as the Art Museum of Toronto and became the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1966. The AGO location dates to 1910, when the gallery was willed the estate known as the Grange, a historic Georgian manor built in 1817, upon the death of Goldwin Smith. In 1911, the museum leased lands to the south of the manor to the City of Toronto in perpetuity so as to create Grange Park. In 1920, the museum also allowed the Ontario College of Art to construct a building on the grounds. In 1916, the museum began construction on a small portion of a new gallery building. Designed by Pearson and Darling in the Beaux-Arts style it's first galleries opened in 1918. Expansion throughout the 20th century added various galleries, culminating in 1993, which left the AGO with 38,400 square metres (413,000 sq ft) of interior space. Under the direction of its CEO Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO embarked on a $254 million (later increased to $276 million) In 2004, a redevelopment plan by architect Frank Gehry began, called Transformation AGO. Gehry was commissioned to expand and revitalize the AGO, not to design a new building and faced the challenge of bringing all of the six previous expansions together. As an expansion, there was concern that the new AGO would not look like a Gehry signature building. After completion The Toronto Star called it "the easiest, most effortless and relaxed architectural masterpiece this city has seen"
