Allysha Vigneux

Shades of Toronto

Timeline: Sept - Oct 2019

Brief

Create a well-made quality product that successfully represents Canadian identity and culture.

Design Objectives

I wanted to create a piece based around the modern industrialization of Toronto in combination and contrast with Toronto pre-colonization. My goal was to do this through a lamp, which would be representative of the light of the city.


Research: History of Toronto

Toronto as we know it today is a lively city full of diverse people and infrastructure. However, it was not always this way. The Iroquois, Seneca, Mississauga, and Huron were the Indigenous tribes originally settled here. Eventually though, Europeans came and colonized the land, re-naming it from Tkaronto (the Indigenous and original name of the land) to Toronto. 

By 1760 the British ruled over Toronto, but it wasn’t until 1843 that Toronto was officially given its name. At this time there were only 9,000 people living here, but that number would grow rapidly over time. Towards the 20th century and onwards, Toronto became increasingly influenced by urbanization and industrialization. By the mid 1970’s the population was over one million, and the CN tower had just opened up to the public. Today Toronto is still going through many changes and continues to grow.




Original Idea & Prototype

In the earlier stages of the design process, I created this prototype. It represents both the nature of Muskoka as well as the skyline of Toronto, which as a whole shows the different landscapes of Canada.

To do this, I incorporated the skyline on the lampshade, which would light up. I decided that I wanted to make the bottom part of the lamp out of a log, such as white birch, which is native to Canada. Lastly, the middle partis a combination of Muskoka nature and the industrial look of Toronto by making it look like a tree branch made of metal.

Ultimately this did not end up being my final design, but I took with me the birch base and the lampshade which illuminates the CN tower to the final design.

First Model

Final Product

Symbolism

The official Ontario tartan is made up of green which represents forestry, blue which represents water, white which represents the sky, and red which represents Indigenous Peoples. That combined with the birch, which is native to Southern Ontario, represents Toronto’s roots. The CN Tower, City Hall, and Skydome are symbols for how Toronto has changed through industrialization. The lighting represents how Toronto has gone through many “shades” - or changes - to get to where it is today.

Materials

  • Birch
  • Cotton fabric
  • Plaid
  • Wire 

Fabrication Process

  • Use the table saw to cut out the legs on the base
  • use drill press to create the hole for the light fixture
  • weld wires together to create lampshade frame
  • use drill press to create small holes in base for this to go into
  • hand-stitch lampshade
  • attach to wireframe, attach to body


Finish

  • Clear lacquer on birch body


Dimensions

Height = 25 cm

⌀ = 9 cm

Using Format