The renowned Canadian practitioner, Raymond Moriyama, passed away on September 1 at the age of 93.

Moriyama will be remembered as one of the defining architects in Canadian history. Coming of age in an era of greater public investment in design, Moriyama was a leading figure in a generation of architects that included luminaries such as Arthur Erickson, Ron Thom, Jack Diamond and Eberhard Zeidler, to name a few.

As a practitioner, his built work is distinguished by its commitment to inclusion, democracy and social progress; it expresses Canada’s transformation from a white colonial nation into the multicultural and diverse country that we know now. Today, sites like Ontario Place and the Toronto Reference Library remain much-loved civic treasures.

Moriyama’s life and work also stands apart from his contemporaries. While emerging from the same historical moment, he faced the added burden of racism and discrimination. 

While Moriyama’s architecture had a particularly profound influence on the civic fabric of Toronto, his work helped shape cities across Canada — and the world.