Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery / Galerie canadienne de la céramique et du verre
1986
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada- Architecture for culture, research, sport or leisure
- Building
- Museum
In October 1986, an invitation to prepare a design for a new gallery for the display of contemporary Canadian clay and glass art was extended to a group of eight significant architects practising in Canada. This gallery was to be located on an important site in Waterloo, Ontario which was donated by the City of Waterloo. Funding was to be provided equally by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and from private donations.
The designs were considered by a distinguished international jury and the winners were announced in December of that year with all of the entries displayed in a public exhibition during the same month.
Due to delays in funding the development of the competition, design was postponed until the beginning of 1989 and by this time, construction costs had increased such that it was necessary to reconsider the scope of the original building program. Consequently, the development of the design has evolved from the original competition winning submission of 1986 to the present design.
Brief
This national gallery will collect, document, preserve, study, display and interpret the finest contemporary works of art in clay, glass, stained glass and enamel by Canadian as well as international artists. A vibrant program of exhibitions and events of national stature will be provided by a staff of professionals. The building will feature major gallery areas including an innovative and exciting gallery designed specifically to house exhibitions of stained glass. Integral to the Gallery and its programme and goals will be a tea room and gift shop, theatre, library and resource centre, glass blowing studio and administrative space. The use and visual quality of surrounding outdoor areas is to be considered and future expansion taken into account.
The brief required that the Gallery design:
- Create a unique and innovative environment for the display of clay and glass objects
- Establish and develop a relationship to Silver Lake and the surrounding parkscape
- Address the complexities of the urban context, attempting on the one hand to accommodate the difficult existing conditions but at the same time to generate a vision of what the given site and the surrounding area might ideally become
- Consider and anticipate a strategy for future expansion
- Provide a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities
- Be an energy efficient structure. (Competitors were not required to submit an energy analysis)
Site
The site for the new Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is located in Waterloo in Ontario. The City of Waterloo is situated about 100 kilometers from Toronto at the western end of Lake Ontario and supports a population of about 350,000 people.
The site for the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is in the north-west quadrant of the intersection of Erb Street and Caroline, adjacent to the uptown core of the City of Waterloo. Located at the southeastern edge of Waterloo Park, it is bounded by Caroline Street, the CNR rail lines and the south shore of Silver Lake.
(From competition documentation)
The designs were considered by a distinguished international jury and the winners were announced in December of that year with all of the entries displayed in a public exhibition during the same month.
Due to delays in funding the development of the competition, design was postponed until the beginning of 1989 and by this time, construction costs had increased such that it was necessary to reconsider the scope of the original building program. Consequently, the development of the design has evolved from the original competition winning submission of 1986 to the present design.
Brief
This national gallery will collect, document, preserve, study, display and interpret the finest contemporary works of art in clay, glass, stained glass and enamel by Canadian as well as international artists. A vibrant program of exhibitions and events of national stature will be provided by a staff of professionals. The building will feature major gallery areas including an innovative and exciting gallery designed specifically to house exhibitions of stained glass. Integral to the Gallery and its programme and goals will be a tea room and gift shop, theatre, library and resource centre, glass blowing studio and administrative space. The use and visual quality of surrounding outdoor areas is to be considered and future expansion taken into account.
The brief required that the Gallery design:
- Create a unique and innovative environment for the display of clay and glass objects
- Establish and develop a relationship to Silver Lake and the surrounding parkscape
- Address the complexities of the urban context, attempting on the one hand to accommodate the difficult existing conditions but at the same time to generate a vision of what the given site and the surrounding area might ideally become
- Consider and anticipate a strategy for future expansion
- Provide a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities
- Be an energy efficient structure. (Competitors were not required to submit an energy analysis)
Site
The site for the new Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is located in Waterloo in Ontario. The City of Waterloo is situated about 100 kilometers from Toronto at the western end of Lake Ontario and supports a population of about 350,000 people.
The site for the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is in the north-west quadrant of the intersection of Erb Street and Caroline, adjacent to the uptown core of the City of Waterloo. Located at the southeastern edge of Waterloo Park, it is bounded by Caroline Street, the CNR rail lines and the south shore of Silver Lake.
(From competition documentation)