Historicist: "The city that nobody loves"
Elsewhere in the Ist-a-Verse
Every weekday, we pick an image from the Torontoist Flickr Pool and feature it here on the site. It's our way to give the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention they deserve!
Perhaps we're a little ROM-obsessed at the Photoist, but who can blame us when the line-up for free guided tour tickets was upwards of an hour during the first weekend of Luminato. Those who were patient enough were able to steal away with some amazing photos, like this one taken by Gavatron of loungers in the Spirit House.
Considering the extreme angularity of the exterior, there is no doubt that the interior would have similar lines that would create a very unique space. So unique that the CEO of the ROM felt a chair needed to be designed for it and Libeskind took up the challenge as his first piece of furniture. Deemed the Spirit House Chair, 13 of them sit in the Spirit House and can be oriented in 5 different positions or used as a table. They are made with 14 gauge stainless steel, weigh 180 lbs each, require 40 hours to complete, and cost $12,000. If these shiny objects catch your eye and you've got that much cash to drop, contact the Toronto manufacturer KLAUS by Nienkämper for more details as it's been available for purchase since June 2.
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Pretty much since there have been architects they have been designing furniture to go into their buildings, and almost without exception they suck at it, Wright, Mackintosh, Breuer, Mies van der Rohe and on and on, some of them look great but with almost no exception they have fatal flaws in the comfort department. Some day an architect will design a daring, beautiful, comfortable chair, Daniel Liebskind is not that architect. These things are cold, hard and a magnet for fingerprints, the museum had been open for previews for less than 8 hours when I saw them and they were already a mess.
Not sure I agree totally, but the primary exception is Le Corbusier's furniture, much of which is ridiculously comfortable (with some notable exceptions, like this one).
i don't disagree that for the most part furniture design isn't the forte of architects. as much as they would like to believe their conception and training can pass over into industrial design, it's hardly ever successful. however, i would like to stand up for the barcelona daybed and chairs by mies as they are among the most pervasive pieces of furniture i've ever encountered. they wouldn't be so consistently used by interior designers if they weren't functional and beautiful.
i also completely agree with marc regarding le corb.