Posts tagged “Moriyama & Teshima”

Moriyama-designed OAC Centennial Arboretum, Guelph.
18 August, 2023

Above, interview excerpt with OAC Arboretum director, Justine Richardson

Took a trip out to Guelph, Ontario with favoured Toronto-based architecture photographer, Vik Pahwa , to capture the Agriculture College (OAC) Centennial Arboretum designed by Raymond Moriyama. Justine Richardson , director of the OAC Centennial Arboretum, was a superb host who prepared archival images, literature and articles on said building. The building is magnificent, the abundance of windows leads to an immersion in nature hard to find elsewhere except in Moriyama's other works. Would love to see this structure in winter, apparently the building is just as stunning. Construction of the Arboretum was completed in 1974 and as the image denotes below, the land was mostly open and flat. From one perspective of the building, it can almost pass as a glorified garden shed, it seems small. But like Dr. Who's TARDIS, the interior appears far larger than the exterior. That is because a portion of the building is built into the landscape, much like the Earth Homes or Earth Shelter in style during the 1960's. A pop culture variant would be the "Hobbit Homes" from the J. R. R. Tolkein series.

This contrasts with the current image of the building with attendant foliage, more in keeping with an Earth Shelter.

Vik Pahwa is ideal to have around on an architectural documentation trip, he maintains a surpassing weblog of architectural photography and his work is featured in at least two architecture books, Toronto Architecture: A City Guide, 3rd Edition and Remnants of Mid-Century Toronto. Images of the OAC Arboretum by Pahwa, below.

Stills above by Vik Pahwa

Meet Don Cooper and Anson Finlay of Moriyama & Teshima
19 June, 2017

Visited the home of Anson Finlay, retired architect of Moriyama & Teshima , and also visiting was 'architecture concept artist' and 'model builder', Don Cooper, retired. Both sat down to interviews to recall meeting and then going to work for Raymond Moriyama. Cooper met Moriyama at Ryerson Polytechnic (before it became a University) where the former attended drawing lectures by the latter. Moriyama saw potential in Cooper and encouraged him to take life drawing classes to further hone his skill. Moriyama set up his first architectural practice office in then-hipster district of Yorkville, Toronto in 1958 and as jobs came in, hired Cooper on an ad-hoc basis to build models and develop sketches and was therefore first employee.

Anson Finlay is from Saskatchewan where he studied architecture and the moved to British Columbia to continue education and get experience on projects. joined the firm later, in 1966, following the career and ground breaking (for the time) works of Raymond Moriyama such as the golf course shelter, dubbed the 'half way house', and witnessed construction of the original Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) at 123 Wynford Drive. Finlay realized that Moriyama was 'the future', and who he wanted to work with and wrote a letter to express this. Moriyama wrote back to come East and join the firm as they were going on a hiring expansion to take on a major new project. Finlay moved to Toronto with his family where he had two major projects

John Snell, Ontario Science Centre project manager.
25 May, 2017

John Snell, project architect, left

Visited the home of John Snell, architect and firm principal of Moriyama & Teshima , now retired. Recorded an interview in Snell's home library / study where he told of early years working with Raymond Moriyama. John Snell began tenure with Moriyama & Teshima in 1966 as one of the most experienced staff members at the time. Snell studied architecture at University of Toronto for three years and worked the Trans Canada Pipeline to pay school tuition. Snell then moved to United Kingdom and continued his architecture studies at Regent Street Polytechnic while working on several construction projects. Snell followed the career of Moriyama & Teshima and it was when he visited Toronto in 1964 and saw the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) project that clinched his decision to work for M&T. When Moriyama got the Ontario Science Centre (OSC) bid and went on hiring expansion, Snell wrote in to apply and his combination of education and experience made him a prime candidate as project manager, in 1966. At the time, Moriyama & Teshima offices were being relocated to accommodate growing staff from 711 Church Street location to the new offices at 32 Davenport Road, which was still under construction. Snell was situated at the OSC construction site and saw it to successful completion. He made M&T firm principal in 1969.

Raymond Moriyama, Ontario Science Centre architect featured for 'ACO 150 Plus'.
5 April, 2017

Raymond Moriyama, celebrated architect of the Ontario Science Centre (OSC) agreed to be interviewed by the Architecture Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) for the 50th anniversary aka the ACO 150 Plus symposium. While Moriyama will not attend the symposium, by way of compromise, he agreed to a video interview. The ACO just needed ten minutes of footage, but Moriyama was effusive and spoke for about three hours. Among topics covered were Moriyama's childhood internment in Slocan, BC, education, starting a fledgling architecture practice during his 30's, being summoned to develop the OSC, ideation, iteration, the opening, subsequent projects and the future of architecture and Canada. Here is a brief distillation, but not the whole enchilada.