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I have written extensively about the collapsing buildings of Toronto. Attractive, even beautiful, heritage buildings are literally torn down for the sake of expanding retail and residential space. And hideous public constructions, like the Daniel Libeskind's Royal Ontario Museum Michael Lee Crystal extension (and even the tamer new addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario by Frank Gehry) are built in a manner which implies their impending collapse.
Such architectural principles of destruction (which I have also written about at Chronwatch.com in an article titled, "Conquering the Architecture of Death" ) have now become the norm, with second generation architects emulating their "masters." Frank Gehry, who also designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Bilbao Guggenheim in Spain, now has his very own protege: Randall Stout, who is the architect behind the Art Gallery of Alberta (shown in the photo above). There is no mistaking Gehry's influence in the Art Gallery of Alberta, showcasing his undulating and confusing structures.
People are left to their own devices in trying to understand such building, where they are forced to decipher the entrance, the front or the back of the building, and even its true top (and bottom). I believe the aim of such architecture is to destabilize people, instilling a sense of chaos (and collapse) into their psyche. Perhaps these New Age architects feel that they are releasing a sense of playfulness and creativity in the public. But the reality is that they are doing the opposite. Visiting edifices which appear to be on the verge of collapse, and trying to figure out one's bearings around such buildings are not pleasant feelings. I will remain cynical and conclude that the intentions of these architects are more nefarious than mere playfulness.
