Performing Arts Centre Visit

Today the class had the pleasure of visiting the Toronto Circus School located in the revitalised Downsview Park complex in Northern Toronto.  The event allowed students to not only take in the appropriate equipment and design considerations for an aerial acrobatic facility, but to also experience some of the activities that they are currently designing for in the final studio project.

Activities carried out at the centre included:
The Initial Warm-Up

The Mini Double Trampoline:

The Aerial Hoop:

The Flying Trapeze:

Las Vegas Shows

Though there were ample opportunities for research and design work during the days in Las Vegas, the nights were typically reserved for recreational activities from casino gaming to shopping to taking in some of the local shows.  All of the students were able to catch at least one of the Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas (there are currently SEVEN in Las Vegas alone!) as well as the hybrid comedy/magic performance by Penn and Teller.  As described in the lectures in Toronto, entertainment, though a small fraction of the financial gains of a resort casino, is critical in establishing an identity as well as a tourist draw for casinos constantly battling each other for gambling revenue.

Las Vegas provides an escape for its visitors.  Beyond relief from the banal daily routine, the Strip offers visitors a chance to engage in activities and meet with people they never would have a chance to otherwise.  While Klingmann describes the experience economy and Pallasmaa advocates for a level of multisensory design, one cannot deny the fact that architecture supports these events and activities; weak architecture seeks to become the event and activities on their own.