Reaching across Harbord at Spadina like a long arm of disrespect for the laws of aesthetic appeal, U of T’s Graduate House has been said to dominate the intersection like an “architectural gangster”. It may then come as something of a surprise to learn that Thom Mayne, the American builder responsible for erecting that looming structure was last week announced as this years recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Prize for architecture. Pioneering the new Los Angeles School of Architecture, Mayne has long been respected, applauded, and sometimes loathed in his field for his radical, jarring, and angular designs, which are said to push beyond the walls of modernism and postmodernism. The award, which claims to be the most prestigious in the world, includes a $100,000 grant and a giant bronze medallion. No word yet on whether Mayne intends to install said medallion over the edge of some unfortunate intersection in California.
