Ahead by quarter century

Renovations to breathe new life into Toronto Reference Library

Raymond Moriyama was clearly ahead of his time.
Back in the 1970s, Toronto was in need of a new central library and Moriyama, architect of the Ontario Science Centre just a few years earlier, proposed a daring glass box design. City council deemed his proposal too costly, however, and the architect revised his plans to create a brick and glass structure which became the Toronto Reference Library. This month marks the Yonge and Bloor library's 25th anniversary.
Last year, the Toronto library board again turned to Moriyama's firm, Moriyama & Teshima Architects, to breathe new life into Toronto Reference through a series of renovations. This time it is Raymond Moriyama's 39-year-old son, Ajon, who is leading the design team and the renovation plans strongly resonate with his father's original design and its emphasis on transparency. This building quality which the elder Moriyama proposed 25 years ago has real currency with today's architecture. Daniel Libeskind's design of a renovated Royal Ontario Museum, for example, also emphasizes a transparent façade intended to convey a sense of activity and cultural richness.
Renovation work has proceeded slowly to allow the library's day-to-day activities to continue with minimum interruption. The first change was completed last November, when the lower level reading room was expanded by 30 percent with a new emphasis on bright and open space. The younger Moriyama designed a radiating circular floor plan and also created canted glass tables to make newspaper reading easier. The area is defined by etched glass panels and a stainless steel "flying newspaper" sculpture which symbolically connects the room to adjoining areas of the library.
Next month will reveal a new computer terrace on the main level. Moriyama designed a stepped area with hardwood benches and a terminal set-up in which some users will face passers-by and others will have their backs to the main library space. It's part of the architect's plan to create a dynamic and visually arresting environment.
The completed work may pale, however, with Ajon Moriyama's latest design proposals, which would open up the Yonge Street façade to the busy street. Moriyama has proposed a glass atrium for the library's main southwest entrance which would basically be a miniature version of his father's original glass box design. In addition, the library's west side lower level would be extended closer to Yonge and consist of glass panelling. The northwest corner of the building would be converted to a transparent multi-media room where users could listen to CDs or watch DVDs. It would become a living advertisement for the library's amenities. Additions are also planned for the east side of the library.
When Toronto Reference Library was first built, it was a natural gathering place for students and the general public alike and it is this sense that Ajon Moriyama would like to re-create - a place which highlights the excitement of learning. The original design imbued the interior space with a spiritual quality and if all goes according to renovation plans, the new Toronto Reference will have a 21st century experiential quality to match.
In addition to the Ontario Science Centre and Toronto Reference Library, Raymond Moriyama's firm has contributed major works to the city's built environment such as Scarborough Civic Centre, North York City Centre and the Bata Shoe Museum. Their best-known international work is the Canadian embassy building in Tokyo. The veteran architect, now in his early 70s, remains active with the firm he founded. New Toronto projects for Moriyama & Teshima include the Leslie subway station, which opens later this month, and a new computing and engineering building at Ryerson University. Ground broke last week on the firm's design of the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
Ajon Moriyama expects to be devoting much of the next few years to interpreting his father's vision of a public library and it's a prospect that pleases him. "People have caught up to what my father was thinking," Moriyama says.

Publication Date: 2002-11-24
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2033