ROM reopens restored galleries

New galleries at the radically renovated Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto opened to the public on Boxing Day.

Several galleries opened, including the Asian art galleries on the ROM's first floor and a First People's gallery. The west part of the building, the oldest, is devoted to works from China, Japan and Korea.

It is the first time in 25 years that theROM has a permanent location for its First Peoples collection, says William Thorsell, ROM director and chief executive.

The Gallery of Canada: First Peoples, in the east wing dating from 1931, will exhibit collections that had been stored in obscure places or scattered in different galleries, he says.

"The security guards and the people at the front desk told me in the summers, tourists would always come in and say, 'where's the Canadian collections? Where's the Canadian first peoples?'" he said.

The ROM's two totem poles, extending full height up the interior staircases, are much loved by visitors.

The rotunda has been restored and the Currelly Court, the ROM's main gathering area, has been transformed into a huge salon with chairs, couches, tables and rugs.

The restoration, called ROM Renaissance, is designed to provide more exhibit space for the museum's thousands of artifacts.

It is drawing praise for opening up the original windows of the museum's west wing, dating from 1914, and flooding exhibit areas with natural light.

Architect Daniel Liebeskind says one of his aims was to rid the museum of dark galleries that were like "black boxes."

"If I was to come with my kids they're grown up now I wouldn't need the guide book," he told CBC News.

"I'd be able, by the light of the building, to see the treasures, see the works that you couldn't really notice. Because of the obscure light you couldn't enjoy the brilliance of these works."

Construction continues on the Renaissance project, which is behind schedule and over budget. The Crystal structure Liebeskind has designed to hang out over Bloor Street won't fully emerge for several months.

The next phasewill add another 15 new galleries and double the number of works that can be displayed at the museum.