Fireworks light up the night as the free public concert came to a close in front of the new Michael Lee Chin Crystal at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), before a massive crowd of 40,000 last Saturday night. Following the festivities, Torontonians were able to view the museum free of cost till Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m., courtesy of CIBC, bankers to the ROM since 1912.
Barbara Ellington, Lifestyle Editor
Just over four years ago, NCB/AIC Chairman Michael Lee Chin announced his donation of CAN $30 million towards construction of the $135 million new galleries at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), in his adopted home - Canada.
Naysayers wondered why not donate the sum to something equally needed in Jamaica. The thousands of persons who saw the finished Michael Lee Chin Crystal from June 1-3, will now no doubt agree, it was a donation well made. The new addition to the ROM will resonate with everyone (including Jamaicans), for decades to come.
Sketch on napkin
Stories of the Crystal's birth as a mere sketch on a napkin echoed several times last weekend, but what architect Daniel Libeskind has produced is a controversial, bold and daring structure that is sure to spark the imagination. After all, great cities like Toronto must have the capacity to astonish.
From the raw steel seen by this writer two years ago, on a visit to the construction site, has emerged a structure that took 2,800 tonnes of steel, 3,000 steel pieces, 38 tonnes of bolts, 9,000 cubic metres of concrete, two million man hours, no cost overruns and no injury during construction.
The original stone structure of the ROM was built in 1912 and some of those partitioning walls have been removed in the new addition; also, some windows previously sealed, have been reopened. There are no right angles in the new design and the harmony between the old and new is obvious.
Careful attention has been paid to how temperature within and climate are controlled. The intensity of ultra violet rays that would damage works of art is so filtered, light now gently flows through the ROM while water and vapour barriers have been installed. The exterior aluminium cladding is laid out that snow will not lodge and cause damage.
One of the more appealing features in the Crystal is the Stair of Wonders where miniature objects are mounted along the walls in glass enclosures. These stairs double as the fire exit and during the tour we learnt that these objects are non-flammable.
To say the technology in engineering is way into the 21st century, is an understatement. Imagine air throughout the building being fed into spaces below ground! Then contemplate this air circulating through grilles laid in the floor and rising to be extracted through ducts in the ceiling. Journalists learnt that this is a huge cost-saving measure.
Fascinating feature
Another fascinating feature of the Crystal, is the Spirit House. This is simply an empty space between the five crystals where visitors can pause and contemplate the exhibits, And, at a certain time throughout the day, the musical chimes from a huge clock in the city will be heard too.
The top floor houses the C5 Restaurant and it is now open for business as well as rental for special occasions. Here the view of some parts of Toronto is excellent.
First award
This is one of the cosy corners with a great city view in the Crystal Five Restaurant. -Photos by Barbara Ellington
With all that has been translated into a living breathing space by the world famous Libeskind, it is no surprise that already, the Michael Lee Chin Crystal has won its first award. On May 16, the Ontario Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) presented a 2007 Award of Merit for the innovative steel design of the Crystal. The structure won in the engineering category for a building in which engineering considerations predominantly influenced the design and construction of the structure.
The 175,000 square-foot aluminium and glass covered building will house seven permanent galleries overlooking Bloor Street West; a new main entrance and lobby; a very smartly laid out museum store; Crystal Five (C5) Restaurant Lounge and the largest space in Canada for international exhibitions. The ROM's entire renovation and expansion project are expected to be completed in 2009.
And so, with the awesome achievement finally resonating with Lee Chin, he thanked his mother Hyacinth Gloria Chen whose sacrifice had taken him to a memorable June 1 night, in these words:
"My mother taught me that regardless of parentage, heritage or origin, dreams are meant to be pursued and grasped and pulled from the sky. If you work hard, educate yourself, strive, and never forget to be kind to others, your dreams can come true. That is what I love about my mother. And that is what I love about Canada. Canada is a place where everyone belongs, where opportunity thrives, where everyone can make a difference. This is where leaders of tomorrow will get their first taste of inspiration. Anything is possible."
As viewers descend the 'Stair of Wonders' that also doubles as the museum's fire escape, this display of horns is visible.
The ground floor of the new gallery is named in honour of Michael Lee Chin's mother, and four of her sons were proud to be photographed beneath the sign on Saturday, June 2. Joining Michael Lee Chin (second left) are, Wayne Chen (left), Bobby Chen (second right) and Richard Chen.
They made it happen - from left: Director/CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum William Thorsell, with architect Daniel Libeskind and lead donor, Michael Lee Chin, before last Thursday's tour of the new galleries at the ROM. - Contributed
