Toronto’s recent building boom has galvanized, as never before those living here to try to understand the riches of design skills and efforts going into all this change. Consequently, the May weekend festival of visits to architectural highlights, called DOORS OPEN, has become a hugely attractive event. This year, Jack Diamond, a principal figure of the world renowned Diamond and Schmitt Architectural firm, delivered a brilliant account of his project resulting in the new Montreal Concert Hall (Maison Symphonique de Montreal)—an account that penetrated to the heart of architectural genius.

He prefaced his power point disclosure by noting that architects often slide into powerful surface appearances and underestimate the need to provide effective overall functioning. Only when both the science and the poetry dovetail do we come to architecture worthy of it name (a metier alert to architectonics, to, that is, the developmental functions of spaces informed by the gamut of human endeavors).

As to his Montreal structure, he spoke at length about the acoustic issues of a hall, covering very complex phenomena in a way that could clearly impact for a novice. A master of great musical venues (having constructed to acclaim the New Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, his vast store of scientific initiatives is complemented by attention to the social as well as to the artistic experience of the audience; and the satisfaction of the performing artists. Continue reading →