Royal Ontario Museum to redesign main floor, which will be free for visitors
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
TORONTO — The Royal Ontario Museum says it will redesign its first floor, expand the galleries there, and make ground level exhibits free to visitors as part of efforts to transform the building into more of a community gathering place.
ROM director and CEO Josh Basseches said Wednesday the museum will add about 550 square metres of gallery space as part of the renovation, which will overhaul 8,000 square metres of the first floor but largely retain the building's famous — and controversial — geometric glass, metal and brick design.
The museum won’t require tickets to access that portion of the building, as part of its commitment to accessibility, Basseches said.
There will also be regular performances in part of the space.
The ROM was last transformed in 2007 by architect Daniel Libeskind when a crystal-shaped expansion was added to the heritage building. Basseches said the new design will honour the building's past while moving it into the future.
Toronto-based architect Siamak Hariri led the redesign project, and construction will begin imminently.
The structure of the crystal will remain largely unaltered, though there will be a new all-glass entryway to the museum, shielded by a bronze canopy.
The bigger transformation will happen inside the building, where Hariri is seeking to knit the old heritage building with the redesigned crystal, exposing more of the building's original facade and removing a dropped ceiling to let light shine through the crystal's skylights.
The museum is to remain open while work is underway.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2024.