Larry Richards, former Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, is curating a new show devoted to 25 years of Frank Gehry's drawings. Forty-nine original pen-on-paper drawings of eight museum projects will be on display. The exhibition runs from February 18-June 17, 2006 at the University's Artcentre. For more information call 416-978-1838 or visit http://www.utoronto.ca/artcentre.

Drawings here are from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum project

Addendum: Sadly, further to the earlier post, the whale died while in transit to the mouth of the Thames.

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Ok. This item has absolutely nothing to do with Toronto but how often do you have the opportunity to tell a good news story about our relationship with other species inhabiting the planet. I'd like to imagine that this whale is somehow related to those in Douglas Adams' (two Douglas's today - coincidence?) book, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." It's on some kind of a scouting mission to see if there really is any hope for these awkward humans. Could it be sending a message to the British Parliament? Remember, no whale has been seen in the Thames since early in the 20th Century and none has ventured this far upstream.

The latest news is that the whale is being "barged" out to the channel. Vets are testing it for any illnesses that might prevent a successful release.

Picture from BBC

Concord Adex - the masterful marketers that they are - have selected Canadian author Douglas Coupland to design a three-hectare park (that's a piece of land 100 metres wide by 300 long) near Spadina Ave and Front Street. What's Coupland's solution for this urban park site? He envisions bringing 20,000 truckloads of soil to build a toboggan hill.

"I think maybe what [Concord Adex is] hoping for is a little bit of a shock," said Mr. Coupland, "Or they want to be shown something that they really wouldn't have come up with otherwise." The post-modern device of taking a literary reference and giving it built form may just play out well in this context if only, as Coupland points out, that a hill here will give people views of what they really want to see - the waterfront.

Coupland, the author of the much acclaimed book, "Generation X," works as a sculptor and painter. For this project he is working with Vancouver-based landscape architect Greg Smallenberg.

Image from www.trekearth.com

Live in a uber cool downtown condo? Have the life of sophisticated loft living? Maybe you broke the bank of the perfect bungalow nestled next to the park and recently gutted the place to create a gallery like setting for your entire Herman Miller repertoire........then baby comes along. And there is baby paraphernalia all around!

Need a tip? A dark secret for kid-filled modern living: get some decent designed stuff from IKEA. So here's the secret: blow your wad on a couple of expensive pieces: crib, stroller, vintage knoll credenza [i said a couple pieces, lord knows anything for baby is expensive], then outfit the rest from the ‘big blue box ’. Try it at home with these pieces…….


ikea ps vagga rocker Designer: Åsa Andblad $90.00 [plus you will need the ikea ps vagga rocker pad price unkown]


rusig rocker Designer: Henrik Preutz $12.99


duketig plates set of 24 pieces new Designer: IKEA of Sweden $14.99


ekorre hanging seat Designer: Jan Dranger/Jon Eliason $34.99 [plus you will need the ekorre hanging hook $19.99 and the saggosten air element Designer: Jan Dranger $15.99]


mala easel IKEA of Sweden $46.99

Put it into the mix with the rest of your modern pieces. Smart design for kids – find the adult in the child and the child in the adult. Make time to cocoon with your kids, grab a few toys and travel to distant places simply by using your imaginations.