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Gehry first project in home town of Toronto
The generosity of Ken Thomson – the richest man in Canada – and the talent of Frank Gehry are the two factors which will result in the radical change of the face of the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. To the first is owed the donation of an extensive collection (two thousand Canadian and European works or art, worth 300 million dollars) along with 70 million dollars; Frank Gehry instead has recently been officially appointed to design the extension. A new building which covers almost 7000 square metres will increase by forty percent the gallery area, whilst a series of four elements made from different materials – glass, metal and concrete – are to be built on the front of the gallery facing onto Dundas Street.
It is the first important commission in Canada for the architect who was born in Toronto in 1929 but who since 1947 has been living in California. “The Art Gallery of Ontario is where I got to know about art for the first time and Grange Park is where I played as a child, so the project holds a lot of meaning for me. The building that I have in mind will serve to connect the city and its inhabitants with art”, stated Gehry when his appointment was announced. Work is due to start at the beginning of 2005 to be concluded by 2007.
