Take a look inside the ROM's newly restored, 84-year-old entrance
'Any great entrance speaks to the promise of what's there,' lead architect says
For the first time in a decade, the Royal Ontario Museum's historic Queen's Park entrance is open to the public.
Tuesday's re-opening concluded years of restoration work to the Weston Entrance, which features limestone steps leading up to the ROM's rotunda room and its golden mosaic dome.
"Any great entrance speaks to the promise of what's there," said Siamak Hariri, the lead architect for the renovation project.
Designers made 'dozens and dozens' of subtle changes
The designers of the restored entrance say their goal was to preserve the "dignity" of the original space, which was lauded as an architectural masterpiece when it first opened in 1933.
However, Hariri's firm added new features, such as benches, lighting and doors. He's hoping the alterations will not distract from the original architecture.
"There are dozens and dozens of little touches here that are new," he said. "But if you tell me that you don't see them, that would be the best in a way."
A more accessible entry point
The rebirth of the entrance also signals the first phase of the museum's Welcome Project, which is aiming to improve accessibility to the building and its galleries.
Last year, more than 1.3 million people visited the ROM, according to the museum.
