The Royal Ontario Museum celebrated its Centennial on March 19 by announcing bold plans for four legacy projects that will transform how the ROM welcomes and interacts with its visitors.
Leading the announcements were plans for the Welcome Project that will enhance the ROM’s interior lobby and create a new performance space which will function as the ROM’s first “outdoor gallery.” The proposed design will transform the visitor experience to the Museum from the inside and out—from the moment visitors arrive at the ROM on Bloor Street to how they discover and interact with its world-renowned collections and curators. The new outdoor space will be designed by acclaimed Toronto firm, Hariri Pontarini Architects and award-winning landscape architect Claude Cormier, and cover the area from Philosopher’s Walk east along Bloor Street West and around the corner of Queen’s Park. The proposed design will enhance the area with biodiversity gardens, community gathering areas and a performance space. Preliminary work on the new lobby experience to welcome and guide visitors through the ROM will begin shortly.
The four Centennial legacy projects announced include plans to deliver the future Gallery of Early Life which will change the way visitors learn about the most ancient living things, a Director’s Fund for investment in Museum innovations such as digitizing the ROM’s collections for greater access, and a Programming Fund that will be used to animate the Museum’s eight Centres of Discovery. Janet Carding, Director and CEO of the ROM and Dianne Lister, President and CEO of the ROM Governors were joined at today’s celebrations by The Honourable David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, The Honourable Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Bonnie Brooks, Chair of the ROM Board of Trustees and Victor Dodig, Senior Executive Vice President of CIBC along with Museum donors, patrons and members.
The City of Toronto marked the ROM’s birthday by declaring March 19, 2014 Royal Ontario Museum Centennial Day.