Project Overview

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is one of Canada’s most recognized cultural institutions, welcoming millions of visitors each year. As part of the OpenROM revitalization project, the museum is undergoing a significant transformation designed to improve accessibility, expand gallery space, and create a more welcoming public experience while preserving the museum’s architectural identity.

Krcmar Surveyors was retained by Eastern Construction to provide survey support for renovations to the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal entranceway. The project required precise three-dimensional calculations, structural verification, and construction layout services to ensure that new construction integrated seamlessly with the existing Crystal structure.

Why Krcmar Was Needed

The redevelopment required new structural elements to integrate with the existing Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, one of the most geometrically complex buildings in Canada. Accurate survey control and three-dimensional calculations were required to establish project gridlines, verify existing conditions, and ensure that new construction aligned precisely with the existing structure.

Krcmar provided the survey control framework, calculations, and layout information required to support design intent and construction accuracy throughout the project.

Unique Project Challenges

The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal’s distinctive architecture presents unique surveying challenges due to its complex geometry, sloped gridlines, and unconventional structural alignment. To support the redevelopment, Krcmar first surveyed existing structural elements and then completed detailed CAD calculations to establish project gridlines in three dimensions.

One of the key challenges involved relating sloped gridlines to the existing structure at specific datum elevations. This required structural tie-in points at cut plane elevations to properly locate the gridline. Once the gridline was established, the plane of the existing structure had to be determined so the gridline could be moved to specific datum elevations for layout while remaining on the same structural plane.

These calculations were used to position proposed walls and entrance structures within the project datum while maintaining alignment with the existing Crystal structure. Civil 3D was used to model the planes of the existing exterior façade and structural elements, while AutoCAD and MicroSurvey were used to support layout calculations.

Throughout the project, Krcmar worked closely with Eastern Construction and the architect to address alignment issues between old design files, the as-built structure, and proposed construction drawings. This coordination helped ensure all parties were working from the same information when creating or revising drawings for the proposed structure and its alignment with the existing Crystal structure.