It was 2004 when AGO announced the Transformation AGO project to enhance, update, and expand the gallery space. Today, AGO is transformed and opens its door to the public with a 3-days weekend free access.

The Transformation AGO project builds on the late Ken Thomson’s unprecedented gift of art and funding, the commitment of other donors, the vital support of the provincial and federal governments and an innovative architectural expansion by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The project was on time and within budget of $276 million.

According to the AGO, highlights of the Gehry design include:

• A new entrance aligned with Walker Court, the historic heart of the AGO, and The Grange, the Gallery’s first home
• A glass and wood façade that spans 600 feet along Dundas Street and rises 70 feet above street level
• A sculpture gallery that extends 450 feet, enabling visitors to see out onto Dundas Street, and passers by to see into the Gallery
• A new social gathering place that will offer direct access from the street, and will operate at independent hours from the Gallery. This space will include a two-level gift and book shop, a fine dining restaurant, a casual café, the Jackman Hall lecture theatre, the members’ lounge and a free contemporary art space for new projects by emerging artists
• A new, tinted titanium-and-glass four-storey south wing overlooking Grange Park that will house a centre for contemporary art and offer one of the most beautiful event spaces in the city
• A south façade that complements the new Ontario College of Art and Design building to the southeast, with both buildings framing Grange Park
• Extensive glazing on both the north and south façades to allow visitors to experience the surrounding cityscape from the Gallery interior
• A sculptural staircase that soars from the second floor, linking Walker Court to the new centre for contemporary art and new event space
• The integration of natural light throughout the building, including a new glass roof over Walker Court and a light-filled walkway around its upper perimeter, bringing light into the core of the building
  

• Friday, November 14, 4 pm to 12 midnight
• Saturday, November 15, 10 am to 12 midnight
• Sunday, November 16, 10 am to 5:30 pm