Toronto Star

A few more years like 2006 and Torontonians will have to get used to feeling good about architecture. With some exceptions, this has been one the best years ever for the city. Toronto was enhanced by a number of projects, mostly cultural, academic and institutional, that remind us we are capable of excellence after all. It may not qualify as a habit just yet – Toronto hasn't suddenly become Chicago – but a critical mass of architectural engagement is forming and changing the landscape, both physical and mental. This is hugely important in a city where second rate has historically been good enough. The private sector has been slow to break its dependence on mediocrity, but there are signs that Torontonians are growing more sophisticated and unwilling to settle for the kind of architectural banality developers have traditionally offered. On the other hand, various cultural institutions, universities, colleges and public agencies have grasped the centrality of architecture to their efforts. They have hired the best design firms, and despite seriously restricted budgets, enabled them to produce works of the highest calibre.