Where did the wild Architecture go? Follow the money

This building is taller then your mom.

Kelvin Browne wrote in the National Post that wild architecture is waning and more vanilla style is to come. I think that really only holds true in North America and particularly here, in Toronto, the world champion of bland squares. So,  if you're looking for outrageous designs all you have to do is follow the money and you'll find buildings that look like they've just snorted an 8ball of coke.

North America, gave birth to the skyscraper more then half a century ago, but gave up the title years ago to Asia with the building of the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. This signalled to the world that the Asian tigers have arived. Soon, Taipei 101, China world trade centre and other structures came online. But still, nothing wild has shown up.








I can already hear the screams of architectural undergrads everywhere who are quick to defend their trade. I feel your pain guys. I was once one of you. So I am aware that Gehry, Koolhaus and Liebeskind were all creating deconstructive edifices before the ROM Crystal and The Disney Concert hall. These are some architects that continue to push the envelope and create many of the more recent eclectic structures on our continent. But the true home of wild belongs to two places far from here and it's not hard to realize why. Beijing and Dubai.


In 2008 we saw some of the coolest looking buildings at the Bejing Olympics. The Birds Nest, where the mind blowing opening ceremonies took place, was the centre piece among the Aquatic centre and of course the CCTV China tower. Those additions plus Beijing's existing buildings create a sky line that makes New York's look like a picket fence farted in the wind. You want wild, google earth them apples.

Click here to watch the opening night fireworks show

On the other hand Dubai and Abu Dhabi build on such a massive scale that it dwarfs anything going on over here or anywhere for that matter. Most projects come with a very high or an unlimited budget. If you can think of it, they can fund it. Yeah, a $1.30 a litre gets you that power. So when wild means scale take a look at the Palm Islands, The Burj Khalifa, an indoor skiing hill, the biggest mall in the world and a 7 star hotel. See The Palm Island Atlantis Opening night fire work show, think of this every time you fill up your Prius.

As for Toronto, I'll take my hat off to some of the more riskier projects, the ROM crystal and the OCAD Sharpe Centre for design (The table top) for really pushing the envelope in this city of boxes. As for Trump tower, Diamond Schmidt's glass boxes and all the Condos along the Lake...ya...