“This series of photographs features 34 parkades located in Toronto. I have long been intrigued by liminal spaces — those in-between places that exist as a means to an end, to be travelled through but not lingered in, unpopulated or abandoned. These spaces are often unsettling, and parking structures are no exception. As an architectural typology, they are particularly interesting to me; they are often huge eyesores, yet at the same time hidden in plain sight — almost invisible despite their bulk. As an architect by training, I am passionate about the impact of our surroundings on us; how they shape our moods, our experiences, and our worldview.
The subject matter for this work draws undeniable inspiration from Ed Ruscha’s 1967 book ‘Thirtyfour Parking Lots in Los Angeles’. But where Ruscha’s aerials emphasize the flatness of the medium and the two-dimensional geometry of the lots, I am more concerned with volumes and layers, materiality and textures.
In a city where real estate is at a premium, and in a world that is ostensibly moving away from automobile culture, what does the future hold for the lowly parking garage?”
– Amanda Large, doublespace photography
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’34PKGTO’ is one of 12+ projects at STACKT Market for the 2024 DesignTO Festival. Celebrate these projects with a free, site-wide party on Sat, Jan 20 from 6-10:30pm. Visit ‘Design Collection Opening Party @ STACKT’ to learn more.
Participants
Amanda Large, doublespace photographyAcknowledgements
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