Libeskind's Latest

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

The name of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal comes from the philanthropist whose $30 million donation launched the project, plus the building's five intersecting prismatic volumes. A 170,000-square-foot addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada's largest cultural and natural-history institution, Studio Daniel Libeskind's ground-up wing presents a striking facade of aluminum and glass. Inside are nine galleries, a shop, a café, and a new main entry for the museum as a whole.

Daniel Libeskind was already familiar with ROM, having completed galleries and public spaces there two years ago. The Crystal, he says, "will promote the resurgence of the museum as the dynamic center of Toronto, making it a place of wonder and joy." For the first week after the unveiling, the wing is remaining empty to highlight the architecture. Opening June 2; 416-586-8000; rom.on.ca.