Toronto Star

Here in faraway Norway is the opera house Toronto should have built. Unlike the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, a generic box that looks no farther than its own black-brick walls, this one is all about national ambition, civic pride, city renewal and commitment to culture. Designed by Snohetta Architects, it is meant to be a landmark in every sense of the word. Located on the old Oslo docks, it was also designed to kick-start waterfront revitalization. Sound familiar? It should. Indeed, the similarities between Oslo and Toronto are startling, but not the response. Where Toronto opted to build an opera house that serves its purpose and nothing beyond, Norwegians understood that such a project must address more than the narrow spectrum of opera lovers. Oslo is also in the process of burying its elevated waterfront highway and its railway tracks. The objective is to reintegrate the old harbourlands back into the city, and transform it into a mixed-use neighbourhood where people live and work.