🧵1/3
The Crystal, an extension of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, was designed by @DanielLibeskind and opened to the public in 2007. Located at the prominent intersection of Bloor Street and Queen’s Park, the Crystal redefined the identity of Canada’s largest museum by introducing 100,000 square feet of new exhibition space, a dramatic new entrance, a retail shop, and restaurants. Inspired by the crystalline forms found in the museum’s mineralogy collection, the design features five interlocking prismatic volumes clad in aluminum and glass, creating a powerful visual contrast with the existing early-20th-century building. The structure’s angular geometry eliminates right angles and includes only one vertical wall, presenting significant engineering challenges and resulting in one of the most complex construction projects in North America.