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Heritage + Adaptive Reuse

Modernist Revisions

A sensitive addition highlights the beauty of a 1960s library in Kitchener’s central civic square.

Events

april

10apr3:00 pmOversize, Overdue: The Architecture of the D.B. Weldon LibraryA lecture by James Ashby

Event Details

Wednesday April 10, 3:00 p.m
Weldon Library, Rm. WL258, Western University, London, Ontario

Brutalism is arguably the most revered and reviled of architectural styles. In recent years, it has enjoyed a resurgence of interest among a new generation of architects, designers and urban types. They find its authenticity, material integrity and volumetric forms are refreshing after years of theatrical, pseudo-historical, post-modernism, and that which followed.

At Western University, a legacy of colonial aspirations has resulted in a campus largely built in what is called the “Collegiate Gothic” style. The building of Weldon Library was part of a brief, visionary interlude of utopian modernism that envisioned new, big and boldly egalitarian public spaces that provided access to education for all.
Now, many modernist buildings like Weldon Library are threatened by deterioration and even demolition. Altered beyond recognition by perfunctory repairs and renovations, it is difficult to imagine the ways in which such monumental buildings represented the lofty social values of this particular time period.

Initiated in Canada’s centennial year, the design of a new main library for Western University was a collaboration between architects Ronald E. Murphy (1924-1992) of London and Australian John H. Andrews (born 1933), who also designed the University of Toronto’s Scarborough College and the CN Tower. This design occurred within the rapid expansion of post-secondary education in Canada, concurrent with the architecture of the 1967 centennial commemoration, and as part of the emergence of the “third generation” of modern architects in the international context.

Panel Discussion:

Join us for a lively, informal discussion following Ashby’s lecture with panelists Michael McClelland (Principal ERA Architects Inc., Toronto), Sandra Miller (Architectural Conservancy Ontario, London), and David R. Murphy (Principal, Murphy & Murphy Architect, Inc.), London.

About the speaker:

James Ashby, a conservation architect and independent scholar, focuses on the built heritage of the modern era and its continuity into the future. He has worked in the private and public sectors in Canada, and in the non-profit sector in the United States. Ashby has advised on several nominations of modern built heritage to the UNESCO World Heritage List. He benefitted from a residency at The Getty in Los Angeles as a guest scholar. Based in Ottawa, Ashby has lectured widely and his writing has been published in journals in North America, Europe, and Asia.

This lecture has been organized by McIntosh Gallery in collaboration with Weldon Library, Western University. For more information, contact Abby Vincent, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, [email protected], 519 661-2111 ext. 87576

Time

(Wednesday) 3:00 pm

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13apr2:00 pmHoward Rideout: Envisioning Architectural Space in the Landscape

Event Details

Canadian Architect Howard Rideout has a career that spans thirty-five years. His work ranges from the intricacy of designing a prototype boutique for a Canadian cosmetic company to serving as the visionary for the campus plan of one of China’s most prestigious universities.

Howard Rideout is the principal of Howard Rideout Architect (HRA), an architecture firm based in Toronto, Ontario and founded in 2000. At HRA, Rideout oversees every project, ensuring that each is a unique architectural expression developed collaboratively with the client. HRA’s work includes projects of various types and sizes. At home in Ontario the firm specializes in custom homes and cottages as well as larger institutional and commercial projects that require an attention to detail, from the projects architectural design to its placement on the site. Currently the firm is engaged in designing Bridgewater a master planned community near Collingwood. Abroad, projects include large scale resorts, institutional campuses and master planned communities. Recently he has worked with the late Karl Lagerfeld on the new Karl Lagerfeld Hotel in Macau set to open this year.

Rideout has been recognized for several local as well as international awards including the Dubai International Award for his seaside village in Dalian China, Project of the year (Ontario Home Builders Association) for his project in Bradford, Ontario for Brookfield Homes and the winning entry for his urban design of Place Jacques Cartier in Montreal. Rideout has been featured in several publications including Canadian Architect, Canadian House and Home and Azure for his projects and architectural expertise.

His first book entitled Building Community/Community Building: The work of Howard Rideout Architect in Simcoe County, explores the work of the firm completed in Simcoe County and how these initial projects lead to him meeting business man and philanthropist Reinhart Weber who would task him with the creation of his lakeside residence and afterward the design of the Midland Cultural Centre.

Rideout is a graduate of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, and a member of the Ontario Association of Architects and the American Society of Architectural Illustrators. Howard lives with his partner in Toronto’s Riverdale community and is an avid gardener, story teller and community builder.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/howard-rideout-envisioning-architectural-space-in-tickets-59534504305

Time

(Saturday) 2:00 pm EDT

Location

Midland Cultural Centre - Rotary Hall

333 King St.

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