Main entry:

Weder, Adele, 1961- author.

Title & Author:

Ron Thom, architect : the life of a creative modernist / Adele Weder.

Publication:

Vancouver ; Berkeley ; London : Greystone Books, [2022]
©2022

Description:

xii, 324 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Part One: West -- 1: A foundation in music -- 2: Building a culture -- 3: The shadow of conflict -- 4: Rebuilding -- 5: Across the water -- 6: Bold boys on blueprints -- 7: Higher learning -- 8: Electrifying the west -- 9: The allure of the woods -- 10: The home front -- 11: Dignity, grace, beauty, and warmth -- 12: The great transition -- Part 2: East -- 13: Rising in the east -- 14: The big time -- 15: High flying -- 16: Roiling fame -- 17: Culturally defining -- 18: The elusive concept of home -- 19: Art versus the corporate wave -- 20: Fear has a long, long tale -- 21: The last trip home.
Issued also in electronic format.

Summary:

"A definitive biography of an iconic Canadian architect--and a social portrait of the midcentury design world he lived in. Ron Thom came of age in the mid-20th century, just as the modern movement and an impending building boom were about to reshape the country. Talented in music and art as well as design, he rejected sleek austerity in favor of modern architecture that is warm, intimate, and beautiful. He worked from coast to coast, and his most renowned buildings--Massey College, Trent University, the Shaw Festival Theatre, and landmark houses--continue to inspire generations of architects, as well as the legions of people who work, study, visit, and live in them. In Adele Weder's new biography, Thom emerges as a complex figure, gifted with creative genius but pursued by demons. More than just the life story of one man, this book is a portrait of the society that shaped him. His world included Jack Shadbolt, Arthur Erickson, the Massey family, Barbara and Murray Frum, and many other luminaries of 20th-century Canada. To unpack this multifaceted story, Weder pored through institutional and personal archives in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Peterborough, and Toronto. She tracked down and interviewed Thom's surviving friends, colleagues, and family members across the country, from New Brunswick to Vancouver Island. Her extensive research serves as the bedrock for Ron Thom, Architect--a book for anyone interested in a transformative era in Canada's cultural history."-- Provided by publisher.

ISBN:

9781771643221 (hardcover)
1771643226 (hardcover)
epub
9781771643238

Subject:

Thom, Ronald James, 1923-1986.
Architects Canada Biography.
Architectes Canada Biographies.
HISTORY / Canada / General.
Architects
Canada

Form/genre:

Biographies

Added entries:

Thom, Ronald James, 1923-1986, architect.

Holdings:

Location: Library main 315975
Call No.: 315975
Copy: 1
Status: Available