OpenROM is a sweeping 206,000 sq. ft. architectural transformation of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) — Canada’s largest and most-attended museum of natural history and world cultures. This extensive renovation project aims to uncover additional programmable area within the existing footprint of the historic building, improving the visitor experience and positioning the ROM as a more open cultural and civic hub for its 1.4 million annual visitors.
Turning the museum inside out, the design will bring daylight and views deep into the museum to create stronger connections between the public realm, lobby, and galleries. A fully accessible entrance anchors the exterior, sheltered by a cantilevered canopy. A new water feature will wrap the heritage façade, changing from burbling water in the summer to cracked ice in the winter — a nod to Canadian landscapes and the importance of sustainability. Inside, the foyer leads to the new heart of the museum and flexible program space, Hennick Commons, which will feature a soaring four-storey atrium with a diagrid glass ceiling. A grand staircase and a series of ramp connectors serve as the architectural centrepiece, offering whimsical yet straightforward wayfinding and accessible platforms overlooking the commons to knit together old and new.
