The Faculty of Environmental Design (EVDS) at the University of Calgary celebrated the lifetime achievements of distinguished Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama with an honorary doctorate and public event on Monday, June 10, 2013.
Moriyama is one of Canada’s most celebrated architects and considered by many a hero for rising above his past as a former internee of camps during the Second World War, due to his Japanese heritage.
As this year’s graduating architects, planners and environmental designers from EVDS walked the stage at the Jack Simpson Gym on Monday, they were joined by Moriyama as he received an honorary doctorate from the faculty.
Throughout his extensive career as partner with Moriyama & Teshima Architects, Moriyama has produced many significant works of Canadian architecture, including the Bata Shoe Museum, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Reference Library, Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, and the Canadian War Museum. His work is published widely and has won many awards including the Confederation of Canada Medal and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal.
Following the formal convocation ceremony, EVDS celebrated Moriyama with two free public events. The first event — a symposium panel discussion featuring Raymond Moriyama, Ian Chodikoff, a former editor of Canadian Architect, and Diarmuid Nash, Partner at Moriyama & Teshima Architects, moderated by Professor Graham Livesey — took place at the Husky Oil Great Hall at the Rosza Centre in the afternoon.
The second event was a gallery opening and reception featuring the original work of Moriyama, which was displayed in both physical and digital forms. It was the first time many of these works were seen by the public.
“I am very excited to hear him speak about his career and work, especially after the privilege of helping to select the work that will be shown in the EVDS gallery,” noted Liyan Wong, a recent graduate of the EVDS Master of Architecture program. “This collection dates from Moriyama’s career from the 1950 to the 1970s, and I know that the public will find it truly remarkable for its forwardness, diversity and aesthetic strength.”
Article by Liyan Wong
For more information, please visit http://evds.ucalgary.ca/content/university-honours-work-one-canada%E2%80%99s-most-treasured-architects