Bill Avgerinos ~ Graphic Designer
Madhouse Advertising Inc:

Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building

It’s a sunlit cathedral of glass and black granite. It’s a far cry from the cramped maze and winking fluorescent lights of the circa-1960s Russell Street building that the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy currently calls home. The design by architects Foster and Partners of London, England, is nothing short of an esthetic marvel. The panes of glass forming the five-storey atrium are so large they had to be ordered from Luxembourg. Inside the light-filled atrium, two large pods float overhead like smooth white eggs. Inside the larger “egg” is a 60-seat classroom; the smaller one contains a 24-seat computer-training centre.

I always love buildings that stand out. It really adds to a city when you have buildings that resemble art installations. What I like about this building is how they have merged form and function. Although those pods look kick-ass they are also classrooms and have a purpose. It reminds me of OCAD U where I graduated from. People would always look at the tabletop and say to me “What’s in there, do you actually have class up there?” and I replied with “Pretty much all my classes are up there”. That kind of mystery and curiosity that is formed with buildings like these is what interests me the most. I hope that more buildings challenge the mold and break out and surprise us.

What is your favourite building?