Monday, July 23, 2012

Interior Photos from Canadian Museum for Human Rights

I went on a tour of the interior of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights today.  It's clear from the outside that it is an architectural marvel.  But inside it is absolutely amazing too.  So many different designs, geometric shapes and interesting materials including from Spain and Mongolia.  It is going to be so spectacular when it is done!

All of the following photos, except the last one, were shot from the fourth level inside the CMHR.

1.  This view, as with many of the others, appealed to me because of the various lines and overlapping levels - in short the geometry of the view.  I felt too that there was quite a flow of the individual components that made up this patterned view.  All of this scaffolding will be removed when construction is complete.  The brown steel in the lower left is the shaft for two elevators.  This steel will eventually be painted out to match the other in-sight interior steel.


2. This is the same angle as photo #1, but a little lower.  You get a better sense of the elevator shafts, and some of the view out the glass walls.  They are going to be glass elevators.   But still the most impressive for me was the geometry around the scaffolding.


3.  Here you can really see the scaffolding - but can also discern some of the CMHR's structural steel (hint:  note the heavier "lines").  So many lines and angles when I considered this as a two-dimensional plane.  It's just so busy, yet logical.  One can't help but marvel at the architecture and engineering that is going into this project!


4. Here's a nice clean view of the permanent, structural steel.  Unobstructed, crisp lines - and curves.  So much strength!


5. Another shot of the base structure, with some scaffolding on the left.  The glass is already in place on the outside of the building, but doesn't really obstruct the view of the city.  This support looks like a tree, but with some pretty strategic triangles for strength.


6.  A closer view of the scaffolding.  With the wood on it, it looks like separate planes suspended atop the atrium area.  The steel on the left is one of the elevators.


7.  Here's a look at the scaffolding as one tries to look out through the glass wall.  You can pick out the base steel structure.  It's going to be quite a sight once the scaffolding is removed.


8.  I took this exterior view standing at the NW corner of the CMHR.  If I remember correctly, from grade to top it will be about 36 stories.