I’m hardly the architecture critic, but…

...surely, Toronto’s streetscapes are fair game for a motoring columnist?

I mean, we drive along these streets - we occasionally look at what we’re driving past.

I hadn't driven along Bloor Street near Avenue Road for a while.

WHAT THE HECK DID THEY DO TO THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM??

It looks like somebody was transporting a brand-new modern pre-fab office building somewhere, it fell off the truck and smashed into that gorgeous old building.

OK, so maybe I’m an architectural Philistine. Maybe Daniel Libeskind is too hip for me.

Or is that hep?

But holy crap that's ugly...

The ab-ROM-ination even made a recent Wall Street Journal story on ‘architects trying too hard’.

I’ll say.

It made me think of what has to be my favourite Simpsons episode of all time.

Marge writes to Frank Gehry (a Canadian architect who also has a heck of a lot to answer for) asking him to design a new concert hall for Springfield.

Gehry takes her letter, crumples it up into a tiny little ball, and tosses it away.

Somehow – I didn’t pay THAT much attention – the crumpled ball of paper makes its way back to Springfield. The contractors build a perfectly nice concert hall, then bring in huge wrecking balls and pound on the new building until it looks like the crumpled ball of paper.

That’s not even the funniest bit; during the opening night concert, Marge announces that the next musical work will be a ‘tone poem’ by Philip Glass. The terrified audience stampedes to the exits like they’d announced a plague or a bomb or something. Followed immediately by the equally terrified musicians, carrying their instruments on their backs.

So, if we can have enlightened cross-cultural criticism in our cartoons, why not in our car blogs?

Comments

[John Betmanis]

OMG! I just Googled the image. That's a monstrosity. The outgrowth should be demolished before it distracts a motorist who sues the ROM.

[John Frewen-Lord]

Stick to cars Jim!

[Lyle Walter Jr.]

Mr. Kenzie,

Speaking of UGLY and useless architecture and I might add expensive to build and maintain, next time you are in the nation's capital, have a drive by the "improved" Natural History Museum on Metcalfe street. How to ruin a beautiful and historic building!!!