Category: Public Space
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World Cup in Canada
Whether or not your are a sports fan, you can’t help get caught up in the drama that is the 2014 FIFA World Cup. And I will admit, I get into the match-ups, the draws and the games and talk-the-talk about international football…every four years. The great thing about being Canadian, and living in Toronto,…
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Kites in a Church
On a recent trip to Rome, my friends and I stumbled upon this unique installation in one of the many old churches. Kites of all different sizes, shapes and colours, filled the chapel with an explosion of art and stories.
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Guell Park in Barcelona
On a recent trip to Barcelona I stalked everything space that was conceived and design by Antoni Gaudi. I was surprised at the immense effort it was to trek up the hill to Guell Park. I was even more shocked to enter the public park to find out that there was now an entry fee…
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#lovethisplace
A secret street in #NYC financial district that turns back time with cobble streets & communal seating #lovethisplace
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Poetic technology by Daan Roosegaarde
Daan Roosegaarde 2014 from Richelle Sibolboro on Vimeo. Artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde discusses technology and its ability to translate poetic spaces derived from nature.
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Highline – New York City 2014
On my recent trip to New York City, I ventured to the world renowned HIghline. A structure which used to be an elevated train track is now a lush public space.
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Daan Roosegaarde beautifies Toronto
OpenCity Projects recently met with Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde and asked him how he would beautify Toronto? DR: Well, it’s not so much about beautifying, it’s about reforming it in a way. When you look at the grid and when you look at the city, it’s quite weird in a way in that…
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Gunkanjima – island decay
In the South China Sea, 15 kilometers off the southwest coast of Nagasaki among the thousands of verdant landmasses that surround Japan, lies a mysterious island. From a distance, Gunkanjima, resembles a battleship with a geometric silhouette with a dark grey hull and hundreds of perforated small windows. The island looks like a Japanese version…
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Hamilton by Joseph Hartman
“Hamilton” is photographer Joseph Hartman‘s largest body of work to date; it spans seven years and includes more than 40 photographs captured with a 4 x 5 view camera on colour film. Hamilton, a city best known for its steel industry, a town I grew up in, is now in a state of transition as…
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Raptors Square
Something interesting is happening in Toronto; we’re gathering and celebrating the playoffs. For the first time in years, Maple Leaf Square is realizing its potential with frantic fans, cheering and screaming, flooding the plaza. It’s one of the rare instances when a corporate agenda meshed effortlessly with civic priorities. Maple Leaf Square, which opened in…
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China by Scott Conarroe
Canadian photographer Scott Conarroe is showcasing his third solo exhibition at the Stephen Bulgar Gallery entitled “China”. When Conarroe first visited Beijing in the wake of the 2008 Summer Olympics. He returned to China briefly the following year and in 2012 he began photographing that nation against the backdrop of a railway expansion that rivals…
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Fireworks in BCE Place
Several weeks ago, I was walking the PATH in Toronto. When I got to BCE Place, I heard music coming from the ground level. As I ascended the elevator, I saw a small crowd of people listening to a violinist playing pop-music in the middle of the building. It was the most pleasant concert and…
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Airport City
Last week I was part of an Institute without Boundaries charrette, Airport City, that examined how Toronto Pearson International Airport can better integrate into its surrounding neighbourhood and the region in the context of future growth, in relation to community, government and corporate stakeholder needs. As you may or may not know, Toronto Pearson International…
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Barcelona Goes Green
Following a recent trip to Barcelona, OpenCity Projects founder Wendy Gold shares her snapshots of the city where green is growing wild. Grass is left unmanicured around benches, creating a soft, peaceful park in one of Barcelona’s most urban neighbourhoods. Unlike other cities in western Europe, Barcelona leaves its edges rough and beautifully wild. Images…
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Encants Barcelona
Known as Els Encants or ‘Mercat Fira de Bellcaire’, it is the oldest market in Europe. From the fourteenth century is a great example of Barcelona’s commercial dynamism and unique mercantile spirit. Over 500 professionals and traders have, year after year, day after day, sold in this market that is an expansive 15,000 m2. Over…
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Pavilion for the City Jubilee by J. Mayer H.
To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city of Karlsruhe in 2015, a temporary event pavilion will be erected in the city’s Schlosspark. During the festival summer, various concerts, theater performances, readings, film screenings, and exhibitions will be held in the open structure. The pavilion offers a large auditorium with a stage:…
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Reimagining former Paris metro stations
Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet and her team recently unveiled sketches for a series of projects that would reclaim the City of Light’s abandoned Metro stations. There are many different proposals for transforming those unused underground spaces including restaurants, auditoriums, art galleries, theaters and nightclubs. While some of the ghost stations were closed down due to a lack…
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A New Theory of Urban Design
I first heard of Christopher Alexander during my studies at the Institute without Boundaries. We had to read two of his books to understand urban planning and architectural practices: A Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language. What drew me to his style of writing was his subtle poetic tone to evolution. It was…
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Fogo Island – Vernacular Architecture
Last year I traveled to the edge of Canada to visit some of the most renowned architecture buildings by Sanders architecture. The Fogo Island Inn, Tower Studio, Long Studio, Bridge Studio and Squish Studio became my total obsession for a weekend. See how nature and design come together in perfect vernacular harmony.
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Fisht Stadium by Populous
The 2014 Sochi Olympics are officially here. I, like so many, watched the opening ceremonies and marveled at the artistry and spectacle that took place within the Fisht Olympic Stadium. What most people might forget about the Games, was that Russia’s bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics was part of a broader goal to step…
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2014 Sochi Winter Olympics
What most people might forget about the Games, despite all the negativity currently surrounding the event, was that Russia’s bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics was part of a broader goal to step back onto the world stage as hosts of major sporting events (the country’s last event was the Moscow Summer Olympics back in…
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Rap quotes in L.A.
Since his “Rap Quotes” project in New York went viral, artist Jay Shells continued to expand the series. ANIMAL rejoins him in Los Angeles as he installs official-looking street signs featuring hip hop lyrics of Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Warren G, Notorious B.I.G., Kendrick Lamar and more — at the exact locations called out in each…
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Eyes on Design
he 11th year of Come up to my Room features designs by different firms and installations. Eyes on Design takes a back stage look at the exhibition with interviews of the creators and curators at the historic Gladestone Hotel.
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A journey through Havana
Over the holidays, I was one of many who escaped the frigid cold and flew south for some much needed sun. My destination of choice was Cuba. Everyone who I talked before planning my trip to told me visiting Havana was a must. Even the locals told me that if I wanted to experience true…
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Fallen Glory of the Pan Am Games
In 1991, the 11th Pan American Games here held in Havana, Cuba. For sixteen days in August 4,519 athletes from 39 countries flooded the country participating in 32 different sports. The Estadio Panamericano, was the main stadium and has the capacity to hold 50,000 people. The stadium now which was the focus of such glory…
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The Museum of No Good
The fourth annual Toronto Design Offsite Festival (TO DO) is right around the corner. The weeklong event from January 20-26, 2014, promotes and celebrates new and innovative design experiences across Toronto. What I like most about the festival is that it exposes the general public to the next generation of designers. It allows art and…
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A Christmas Sleigh Ride
This year the city of Budapest unveiled a spectacular Christmas tree made out of 365 wooden sleighs. Multidisciplinary studio Hello Wood built the 11-meter-tall tree in just one week and placed it in front of the Palace of Arts in the Hungarian capital. The installation will stay there until the end of season, after which…
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Brickworks Flea Winter Market
The Junction Flea’s success continues to grow and expand as they celebrate the winter season with their first outdoor holiday market held at Evergreen Brickworks. We slapped on our toques, sharpened our skates and tracked down the ever busy Micah Lenahan – organizer of The Junction Flea – to discuss the new location and remind…
Richelle Sibolboro 