Photo courtesy AGO photographer Carlo Catenazzi. © 2008 Art Gallery of Ontario.
The Art Gallery of Ontario’s historic Walker Court will play a new and exciting role in the transformed AGO. Frank Gehry’s new design prominently positions Walker Court as the heart of the Gallery, with pathways leading to, from and around the space.
Walker Court has been expanded on all sides, while a new second-floor walkway around its perimeter allows visitors to see into and across the court. The new glass roof overlooking Walker Court and the adjacent scissor staircase create a dramatic space, suffused with light.
The crowning glory of Walker Court will be the sculptural staircase that leads from the second-floor walkway, spiralling up through the glass roof to the upper levels of the new south tower. This dynamic architectural element provides spectacular vistas of the city north of the AGO, as well as impressive views of the surrounding spaces within the Gallery.