It's tough running a museum in the 21st century, competing with all the flashy distractions of the digital age. So when William Thorsell assumes command of Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum, he moves quickly to rejuvenate the beloved but dowdy old lady of Bloor Street.As former editor of one of Canada's leading newspapers, Thorsell envisions an iconic public building— a bold gesture that will inject a shot of architectural amphetamine into the staid and sensible veins of Canada's biggest burg. Who to trust with such a venture?Enter Daniel Libeskind. More than a celebrity architect, Libeskind is a global brand linked to some of the world's most prestigious building projects, including the most famous of all—Ground Zero.As Libeskind's unusual crystalline structure rises into the Toronto sky, Thorsell and Libeskind dance a high-tension tango. Budgets are blown. Timetables trashed. Citizens outraged. Smartly tuned to contemporary debates on public architecture, The Museum charts the progress of Thorsell's grand scheme in an entertaining tale of art, ego and steel beams.
