Toronto Star

In the summer of 2000, Frank O. Gehry received an intriguing proposition from Toronto, the city where he was born more than 70 years earlier. The Art Gallery of Ontario was about to receive an extraordinary gift from Canada's richest person, Ken Thomson, in the form of his personal art collection, valued at $300 million. But the AGO, lacking space to exhibit Thomson's treasures, would need to expand. And Thomson was offering to contribute $50 million toward the building. Thus began the strange tale, often shrouded in secrecy, of a mating dance between the AGO and the world's most celebrated architect. For a while, it seemed as if even the preliminary conversation was destined to go on forever. But finally, just before the end of last year, the AGO suddenly announced the date on which the union will be consummated — Jan. 28. That's when Gehry will be present at the Grange to unveil his plans to transform the AGO.