I am sitting in the atrium of the Social Science Centre (figure 1) where artist Christopher Wallis developed an arrangement of colored squares to create a markedly unique stained glass or skylight-type of installation. The project was jointly sponsored by the Faculty of Social Science, the McIntosh Gallery and the Province of Ontario.  The project was commissioned in September of 1985 and completed in August of 1986. I was born in January of 1986, so this project is only five months older than I am.  Having been around for twenty-five years, it makes me wonder how many people have seen, been influenced by, or have ignored the space altogether.  In my days as a Social Science student, I walked the stairs of this atrium many times and will freely admit that I have never once noticed the stained glass installation of Christopher Wallis. If Wallis’ goal was to beautify the building in a noticeable way I believe he has failed in this manner. Yes, I can appreciate the formal and aesthetic properties of his stained glass windows– if I look up. But this atrium is usually filled with busy distracted students who don’t have the time or don’t care to notice the diffusion and spreading of light at precise angles.

I’ll talk about the formal properties of the stained glass for a moment because they do bear some discussion. Wallis’ stained glass is not like any I have ever seen before. The matt colored glass that only allows a slight diffusion of light is perhaps the most successful aspect of the installation. The most enjoyable part of the colored glass panels is that they are angular as opposed to flat. However, I find the massive thirty-four square foot grid to be extremely problematic.  Although I do find the matt glass panels interesting, from the top of the atrium one can see that they barely let in any light. This seems problematic to me because why build a stained glass panel if it isn’t letting in any light? Along with the angular colored glass, there are flat white matt glass panels. Due to their flatness they appear to be sitting in open concrete cubes, thus creating a darkness along the entire grid. I also question the colors Wallis chose to use for the stained glass. Looking up at the skylight, I find the colors, even though they have been dulled by sandblasting the glass, incredibly jarring.  I understand that the Social Science Centre is basically a boring colorless concrete building, as well as the desire to bring a little life into the building, but Wallis has brought the entire rainbow.  Wallis’ attempt to de-institutionalize the quintessential institutional building results in too much of a disparity between the two designs. The people who walk these stairs are comfortable with the institutional design.  It seems like it should be impossible to ignore Wallis’ screaming installation. Yet, perhaps because of the disparity between the institutional design of the building and the bright, cheerful optimism of Wallis’ design, which most students do not possess while running up and down these stairs, we simply ignore and reject it as not belonging.  Paired with the concrete, the glass seems out of place as does the colorfulness of the entire grid. Basically, the entire installation looks like it is trying too hard to be different. This lack of cohesiveness with the rest of the building diminishes the applications and intentions of the artist.

Then there are the four multi-colored sheath-like panels hanging from the grid (figure 2). In reference to these panels I would like to pose a question. Why are there giant kites hanging in the atrium of the Social Science Centre? But seriously, I obviously have strong feelings about this particular design element and they are not happy ones. I am assuming that they were added at some point after the completion of the stained glass project to complement the new installation. Once again color is a major problem here but that’s not the worst of it. The geometric designs remind me of the art deco style and the combinations of pinks and purples make me slightly nauseous. These panels are hard to miss. You can see them as you enter the Social Science building, walk up or down the staircase, from below and from above.  From a bird’s eye view, at the very top of the atrium stairwell, you can get a closer look at the panels. Upon closer inspection, their cheerfulness is deceiving.  Most are wrinkled, some have stains and rips, and they are warped with age.  Looking down from the top of the atrium, I see the precisely and symmetrically organized tables and chairs of the student lounge (figure 3). The exactitude and starkness of that organization gives me a strange sense of comfort and control. Today is a Sunday and the building is almost completely empty so the contrasts between the loose colorfulness of the installations and the precision and quietness of the student area are great. Perhaps my design sensibilities have been institutionalized but I prefer the latter.