The Globe and Mail

One of the many clarifying pleasures expressed by the newly opened Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art is its lush belief in the time-worn refinements of the city. Not long ago, historic buildings were knocked to the ground as a matter of course, and people were urged to travel beneath the street by underground concourses. The deep satisfaction provided by the Gardiner comes in its framed views of its neighbouring buildings on the civic boulevard of Queen's Park. Standing on the third-floor terrace defined by wooden floors and a clear glass balustrade, Toronto has never looked more captivating, never imagined as something with its own ideal order. Say goodbye to the famed terrace atop the Park Hyatt Hotel located up the street. The glass conservatory plunked over the city's beloved perch looked dated the moment the windows were set in place during an unfortunate renovation. In this city, people are coming up from underground. They're hungering to see and be seen. The new terraces at the Gardiner not only rank, they now matter most.