Art Gallery of Ontario Unveils Expansion Design

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Aerial view of the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery looking northeast

rendering by Play-Time (courtesy the Art Gallery of Ontario, Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect)

The Art Gallery of Ontario has unveiled plans for a $100-million expansion that will add some 13 exhibition spaces across five floors to accommodate its growing collection of modern and contemporary art.

The addition, to be known as the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery, will add about 40,000 square feet, expanding the Toronto venue by 30 per cent. Reiss, an art collector and CEO of Canada Goose, donated $35 million to the project, one of the largest gifts in the gallery's history. 

The gallery hopes to begin construction next year, with completion in 2027.

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View from intersection at Dundas Street West and McCaul Street

rendering by Play-Time (courtesy the Art Gallery of Ontario, Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect)

The new wing will sit above the gallery's loading dock, between the existing gallery, designed by Frank Gehry, and OCAD University.

It is designed by Toronto's Diamond Schmitt Architects, New York-based Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect, located on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.

The design aims to give priority to flexibility and function with large spaces that can be divided easily into smaller galleries as needed.

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Interior view on the sixth floor

rendering by Play-Time (courtesy the Art Gallery of Ontario, Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects and Two Row Architect)

The design also integrates Indigenous values of accessibility, relevancy and inclusivity, says architect Brian Porter, of Two Row Architect and a member of the Oneida First Nation.

"The AGO addition includes open, adaptable areas to serve an evolving need to highlight Indigenous artists and host community gatherings," says Porter. "There are vantage points and an outdoor terrace to access the sky, stars, water and land to support ceremonies and educational land-based learning."

The project, which aims to be carbon neutral, is in the early stages of the public review and municipal approval process.

The gallery welcomes a million visitors annually, and has some 120,000 works in its collection. It  has undergone seven expansions since it was founded in 1900.

Source:  AGO