[Urban Shocker]

PETER DICKINSON
by John Martins-Manteiga, published by Dominion Modern.

Place:
Dominion Modern Gallery @ the School of Design 230 Richmond Street East (Side Entrance) Toronto, Ontario

Date:
Thursday, January 21, 2010,

Time:
7pm-9pm

This is the first major book on the Canadian architect Peter Dickinson. The 304-page catalogue traces the life and work of architect Peter Dickinson from England to Canada. PETER DICKINSON is the first comprehensive catalogue on the work of this important modern architect.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Hume on "Peter Dickinson" (Dominion Modern, 304 pages, $50).

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/751745--hume-peter-dickinson-a-towering-figure?bn=1

 

[Urban Shocker]

Had a good read of the book earlier this week - it's more than a handy guide to Dickinson's work, with plenty of photographs. The text is a bit gushy at times, and could do with some editing, but the enthusiasm is what carries it. There's plenty about Toronto's Modernist architectural scene of the 1950s ( Dickinson's A-team associates - people like Colin Vaughan - who suddenly left the firm and were replaced by the B-team, for instance ... ) and the young men who ran it.

- Shocker's Pick

 

[junctionist]

If Urban Shocker says a text about Modernist architecture is gushy, then it must gush to the extreme. Perhaps it's like Mean City...How Toronto Went Boom! (In the latter case one can understand it; it's combative prose is meant to shoot down the ignorant individuals who think that anything built after 1950 cannot be not part of our heritage.)

That said, I'm looking forward to reading the book because Peter Dickinson made very valuable contributions to architecture in Canada. He designed a small group of fine landmarks in Toronto and Montreal, but also a lot of very attractive infill gems around Toronto.