An Interview with Designer with Andrew Jones
In the fall of 2023, the Gardiner Museum announced our largest capital project since 2004, sparked by a transformational $9 million donation from The Radlett Foundation in honour of the late William B.G. Humphries. Starting this summer, the Gardiner will undertake a full-scale reimagining of the Museum’s ground floor, guided by the principles of connectivity, access, and Indigeneity. Led by Montgomery Sisam Architects and Andrew Jones Design, the Ground Floor Transformation includes the construction of a new fully equipped makerspace, a community learning centre, and an Indigenous gallery space.
Canadian designer Andrew Jones has worked for more than 25 years designing furniture, architectural interiors, and public spaces, including the iconic pink umbrellas at Toronto’s award-winning Sugar Beach. He holds an MA in Furniture Design from the Royal College of Art in London and a degree in Architecture from the University of Toronto. We spoke with Jones about his vision for the Gardiner’s new ground floor, including how was inspired by the collection and which aspects of the design he’s most excited about.
Gardiner Museum: You’ve worked as a designer with the Gardiner Museum in the past, first in 2016 for the special exhibition True Nordic: How Scandinavia Influenced Design in Canada, and then in 2019 for the installation of the Joan Courtois Gallery, spanning three floors of the Museum’s glass stairwell. How has your experience working with the Gardiner’s building and collections informed your thinking about the design of the new ground floor?
Andrew Jones: Every time I visit the Gardiner I see something extraordinary in the collection which gives me pause and makes me marvel at the skill and creativity of craftspeople and artists. I’m particularly inspired by the subtle shapes of ceramics, their relationship to the body and how they inspire an emotional response in us. Learning from these ideas, our design features a softly curving glass wall which organizes the space, gently directs the flow of people and adds an important quality of human softness.
What do you feel makes the Gardiner unique as a museum and how is that reflected in your design?
I love the intimate scale of the Gardiner and its materially specific collection. It doesn’t try to do everything and because of that it’s a beautifully focused experience. When we started, I felt strongly that the new design should keep that welcoming human scale, but have an entirely new quality which signals how the Gardiner is evolving. Museums are special places. They help to shift people’s perceptions from the everyday to a place where they are opened up to the wonder of art.
How did clay and ceramics inspire your choice of materials for the project?
The raw beauty of clay inspired us to use materials which are similarly robust and honest. We saw this simplicity and warmth as expressing a democratic openness and a way to create a place where everyone would feel relaxed. Also, in another way, the remarkable handmade ceramics in the collection inspired us to design elements which are carefully crafted and will be made with local artisans.
The Ground Floor Transformation is guided by three main pillars: Connectivity, Access, and Indigeneity. How are you interpreting these principles in your design?
The ground floor will have a completely different feeling and flow than it does now. As an overall experience, visitors will move effortlessly upon entry through a variety of galleries and spaces. Walls have been removed, and instead, programs, like the new makerspace, shop and community learning centre are contained within a curving glass wall. At any moment, there will be a great variety of things to see and do. Traditional museum divisions have been dissolved; for example, the Gardiner’s historical collection will brush up against the hands-on making studio. The design is all about fostering connections and exchange with the collection and people. Similarly, the new indigenous gallery, designed by Chris Cornelius, sits at the heart of the collections gallery, touching all the other galleries and inviting conversation.
What elements of the design are you most excited to see realized?
The new design has a dramatic new hall which stretches the full length of the Museum. The long view will feature a large-scale ceramic work framed by the new east window. I can’t wait to amble down that space and take in the full experience!
What do you consider the most unexpected aspect of the new design? Is there an element that you think will surprise visitors?
An important part of our design is flexibility and how we want the design to be inclusive and evolve over time. Every visit to the Museum will feel different because of the dramatic new lobby gallery which can be installed in a variety of ways. Similarly, the openness and flexibility of the design allows for a lot of programming possibilities. Different curators and artists will transform the space and creative use will bring it to life. We’ve set the stage for exciting things to happen!
Stay tuned for more updates on our Ground Floor Transformation.