the little airline that could

I’m talking about Porter Airlines. Yes, this is the one that has been attacked relentlessly by Mayor David Miller who killed the Island Airport bridge. It is the one that locals living on the island and waterfront have lambasted for fears of congestion, noise, and air quality concerns, that would destroy all efforts at revitalization.

I agree the Toronto Waterfront should be for people and have a pedestrian scale, but that does not mean that it need to be sterilized with only parks and cultural institutions designed by starchitects. Real places of activity are required to bring people in, and I believe the island airport can do just that. It should be added to one of the many diverse uses that includes the music garden and toronto island parks, yacht clubs and canoeing schools, new HTO beach, harbourfront stage, ferries, Powerplant Gallery, commercial stores, and residential condominiums, that animate the neighbourhoods surrounding it.

Leather Seats on the Aircraft

the things you find on facebook…

‘My Chinese parents used to beat me with a feather duster’

It’s pretty amazing the types of things parents can find to beat their children with: badminton rackets, hula hoops, hot rods car tracks, vacuum cleaner accessories, hoses, leather belts, chairs… you name it

world’s largest video wall

The 120 foot long video wall in Gehry’s InterActiveCorps IAC building provides an immersive experience that feels and looks out of this world. The high-resolution screen keeps the images crisp, making the entire lobby feel like a set of one long commercial.

save the architecture cafe!

Graspe today held a protest about McGill’s decision to shut down the architecture cafe. They were demanding that McGill allow the business to continue as a student-run cafe, and to stop the corporatization of food services on campus. Supporters joined in the demonstrations that began at the Architecture Building, before moving up campus to the James Administration Building. Students, Alumni, and Faculty have all been putting on a concerted effort to save the cafe through petitions, a string of articles in the newspapers, and letters to the the administration.

tai o - the venice of hong kong

Tai O is the type of place you wouldn’t expect to find in Hong Kong, one of the busiest port cities and financial centres in Asia. Located on Lantau Island, it is a 40 minute bus-ride from the nearest subway station, but it feels as though you are transported back in time with the stilt huts built from sheet metal, wooden poles, and scrap material. It is one of the last places in Hong Kong where you can feel a sense of place and history.

After a fire in 2000 destroyed a large part of Tai O, the Hong Kong government tried to relocate its residents amid stiff opposition. The government hasn’t been able to take away this vibrant and interesting area yet, but it seems that it will only be a matter of time before this area is turned into the highrises that plague the rest of every square inch available land.

how does gehry create?

Some insights about the architect from himself and his friends; from the movie Sketches of Frank O. Gehry.

- “Frank seems to live in the moment”

- The whole reason for being an artist is seeing the moment of sparkle in someone’s eyes

Across the Universe: a must-see

The visuals are stunning and it is a sensory overload. Every scene is shot like a music video, and it is clear that each one was a work of art. The intention is to blow you away with stunning visuals, and it does the job.

new ROM crystal

The new Royal Ontario Museum is finally open! I visited the museum when it was on display as an architecture piece only, without the galleries installed, and the spaces inside are breathtaking. While there are many in the city who have decried the building as an assault on Bloor St. W. and the crystal’s gesture of jutting as imposing on the public space, I believe it is a much needed addition to Toronto’s cityscape.

untidiness in a city

Hong Kong’s dirtiness, haphazard appearance, and what seems like a hodgepodge of buildings aspiring to be the most economical on the block, is not a bad thing. This type of cityscape is a fact ingrained in daily life, but one that enriches the urban experience. In most housing developments, government intervention is kept to a minimum, the appearance of buildings comes off as untidy and unkempt, but the city is vibrant, alive, and feels remarkably safe.