CRYSTAL R.O.M. TAKES HIT FROM UGLY STICK

From boarded up windows and dilapidated structures to baby embellishments and baked potato inspired hot messes, it is hard to see how Toronto’s very own Royal Ontario Museum makes the cut as the 8th ugliest building in the world. The second annual “World’s Ugliest Buildings”  list – compiled by members and editors of VirtualTourist.com  - was recently revealed, bringing to light a selection of 10 buildings that are… well, ugly:

1. 1. Morris A. Mechanic Theatre; Baltimore Maryland
2. 2. Zizkov TV Tower; Prague, Czech Republic
3. 3. Parliament Building; Wellington, New Zealand
4. 4. Centre Pompidou; Paris, France
5. 5. Federation Square; Melbourne, Australia
6. 6. Petrobras Headquarters; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7. 7. Markel Building: Richmond, Virginia
8. 8. Royal Ontario Museum; Toronto, Canada
9. 9. National Library; Pristina, Kosovo
10. 10. Ryugyong Hotel; Pyongyang, North Korea

Giampiero Ambrosi, the General Manager of the travel website justfies the list by stating:

 “Many of these buildings don’t have the warmth of an ice cube while others don’t even seem completed. Either way, they make for very interesting conversation.”

As for explaining how the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal R.O.M. made the list, the website blames the lack of congruity between the crystal structure and the traditional museum that is next door to it. The site also parallels the Lee-Chin Crystal to I.M. Pei’s Pyramid at the Louvre in Paris. Wait – did we just get compared to Paris?

I personally was impressed that we made a list that entailed the rest of the world, that didn’t have to do with winter sports, land mass or friendliness. With that being said, while I agree with the note of the structure’s odd visual juxtaposition of old and new, I wouldn’t necessarily dub it ugly. I mean, to me, the light glass structure was a breath of fresh air amidst the bricks and mortar of it’s surroundings. Or am I wrong?

Be that as it may, let us remember that even the Eiffel Tower was initially viewed as an iron monstrosity upon it’s arrival in Paris in 1887, and is now one of the most recognized monuments in the world. Hope, young Toronto.