Part of:

People:

John Cresswell Parkin (archive creator)

Title:

Art Gallery of Ontario, Stage III Expansion, Toronto (1975-1976)

Date:

1973-1976

Level of archival description:
Project

Extent and medium:

47 drawings (including 18 reprographic copies)
0.003 l.m. of textual records

Scope and content:
This project series documents the design and planning for the third stage of the expansion of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto in 1975. The office identified the project number as 7515.
This proposed project conceived the further expansion of the AGO after the completion of Stage I and Stage II, which began in 1969 and 1972 respectively. Stage III would build upon completed areas of the building to enlarge gallery, office, performance, and activity spaces. Among the proposed spaces were the satirical art gallery, a Canadian sculpture gallery, a staff lounge, and the enlargement of the library. The largest addition would be to the south of the gallery, directly west of the Grange mansion. The project would also include continuation of exterior walls and masking of the mechanical penthouse on top of the gallery. At the beginning of December 1975, the AGO suddenly asked Parkin Architects Planners to halt design work on the Stage III expansion, citing a lack of financial stability as the cause. However, conversation between the AGO and Parkin on resuming the project continued for years after. It should be noted that while AGO project contracts were originally given to John B. Parkin Associates, John C. Parkin continued the project under his new firm, Parkin Architects Planners, after parting ways with partner John B. Parkin in 1971.

The project is recorded through drawings and textual records dating from 1973-1976. The drawings show preliminary ideas and design work for the project, while the textual records consist of correspondence and meeting minutes.

Reference number:

AP018.S1.1975.PR08

Arrangement:
Material in this project series has been left in its original order and/or arranged by material type.

Location:

Toronto Ontario Canada

Related units of description:

Records for related projects are also included in this fonds, see: AP018.S1.1969.PR01, Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, Art Gallery of Ontario, Stage I Expansion, Toronto AP018.S1.1969.PR04, Art Gallery of Ontario, The Master Plan, Toronto; AP018.S1.1970.PR07, Art Gallery of Ontario, Existing Building, Toronto; AP018.S1.1971.PR10, Art Gallery of Ontario, Custom Built Furniture, Toronto; AP018.S1.1971.PR11, Art Gallery of Ontario, Furnishings and Equipment, Toronto; AP018.S1.1972.PR08, Art Gallery of Ontario, Stage II Expansion, Toronto; AP018.S1.1973.PR04, Art Gallery of Ontario, Demolition of 246 and 248 Simcoe Street, Toronto; AP018.S1.1976.PR26, Art Gallery of Ontario, Education Offices Furnishings, Toronto; AP018.S1.1979.PR02, Art Gallery of Ontario, Renovations to Restaurant and Kitchen, Toronto; AP018.S1.1979.PR06, Art Gallery of Ontario, Provisions for King Tutankhamun Exhibit, Toronto; AP018.S1.1982.PR04, Art Gallery of Ontario, Room Barricades for the Grange, Toronto; AP018.S1.1984.PR02, Art Gallery of Ontario, Conservation Expansion, Toronto.