Ronald Thom
Birth dateMay 15, 1923
Birth placePenticton, British Columbia, Canada
Death dateOctober 29, 1986
Death placeToronto, Ontario
Alma materVancouver School of Art, Canada
PracticeThom Partnership
Significant buildingsMassey College and Trent University's riverside campus.
AwardsOC

Ronald James Thom, (May 15, 1923 – October 29, 1986) was a Canadian architect. He is well known for two works: Massey College and Trent University's riverside campus.

Early years

He was born in Penticton, British Columbia, the son of James Thom and Elena Myrtle Fennel. Thom served as an aviator with the RCAF during World War II,[1] returned and graduated from the Vancouver School of Art in 1947. He never went to architecture school but apprenticed at Thompson, Berwick & Pratt, where he quickly became recognized as an unusually gifted draughtsman and designer. and also designed notable houses in the Vancouver area, several of which won Massey Awards, the country's top award for architecture. In 1957, he became a registered architect at Thompson, Berwick and Pratt and a partner shortly afterward.

Professional practice

He established R.J. Thom & Associates in Toronto in 1963 and later the Thom Partnership. He was a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. In 1980, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He battled alcoholism throughout his life and was eventually forced out of the partnership by some younger partners. He died at his office in 1986 after a bout of heavy drinking. His ashes were taken back by his family and scattered off the Pacific Ocean at Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver.[2]

He was the subject of a major retrospective exhibition in 2013 and 2014, "Ron Thom and the Allied Arts" featuring a collection of photographs, drawings, letters and furniture that he designed for his buildings. The exhibition was shown in British Columbia in 2013, at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto beginning in February 2014, and at the Beaverbrook Gallery, Fredericton in November 2014.[3]

Works

BuildingYear CompletedArchitectStyleLocationImage
Master plan and buildings of Massey College1963Ronald ThomModern architecture / Medieval Oxbridge CollegeUniversity of Toronto Toronto, Ontario
Fraser Residence (Fraser House)1968 (restoration completed by Altius Architecture in 2001)Ronald Thom and Paul Merrick (Co-designer)Modern architecture4 Old George Place (Rosedale Ravine) Toronto, Ontario
Catherine Parr Traill College Master plan and renovations of buildings; Champlain College, Lady Eaton College, the Bata Library and science complex on the Symons Campus1965–1973Ronald ThomModern architectureTrent University, Peterborough, Ontario
St. Jude's Cathedral (Iqaluit)1970Ronald ThomModern architectureIqaluit (destroyed 2005)
Fleming College1973Ronald ThomModern architecturePeterborough, Ontario
Pearson College of the Pacific1977Ronald Thom & Barry Vance DownsModern architectureVictoria, British Columbia
College Education Centre1982Ronald ThomModern architectureNipissing University, Nipissing, Ontario
Toronto Zoo – master plan and pavilions (including African and Indo-Malaysian Pavilions)1974Ronald Thom with Craig & Boake and Clifford & LaurieModern architectureMetropolitan Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Ontario
Atria North office complex (Phase I), North York1978–80Ronald ThomModern architecture2255 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario
New Shaw Festival Theatre1973Ronald ThomModern architecture10 Queen's Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts1977Ronald ThomModern architecture130 Navy Street, Oakville, Ontario
The Westin Prince Hotel, Toronto1975Ronald ThomModern architecture900 York Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Metropolitan University Architecture Building1979–1981Ronald ThomModern architectureToronto Metropolitan University 325 Church Street Toronto, Ontario

Honours and awards

Source:[4]

Personal

Thom was married twice, first to Christine Helen Millard (1923) in 1943[5] and survived by second wife Molly (m. 1963), daughter Emma (a veterinarian) and son Adam Thom (himself an architect).[6]

References

  1. ^ "Ron Thom | Ron Thom House 4 Sale". Archived 2012-07-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
  2. ^ Ron Thom Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine. Ron Thom House 4 Sale. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
  3. ^ Alex, Bozikovik, Show traces Thom’s resolve to create buildings both quirky and humane, Globe and Mail, February 7, 2014
  4. ^ Biographies | Canadian Architectural Archives | University of Calgary. Caa.ucalgary.ca. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
  5. ^ Ron Thom: Biography. Trentu.ca (1964-06-24). Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
  6. ^ Show traces Ron Thom’s resolve to create buildings both quirky and humane. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.