The Stanley A. Milner Library in downtown Edmonton is still months away from completion, but criticism of its current exterior is a hot topic this week.
"I'd ask people to suspend judgement," Mayor Don Iveson said Tuesday. "I know criticism is a summer sport here in Edmonton and so people indulge, but I'm going to wait until it's done and especially until people get inside before passing final judgement."
The exterior does not exactly match the design renderings, and Iveson acknowledged that adjustments were made, but he feels the final result will be worth the wait.
"I think the building's actually quite playful, but some of the playful elements of it are not revealed yet," he said.
Tweets comparing the building to battleships and dumpsters began circulating Monday.
One is a warship the other is Edmonton’s renovated downtown library.
— Gone riding for summer (@ohmyhog) July 15, 2019
The difference? Marketing. #hmcsStanleyAMilner #yeg #yegdt pic.twitter.com/tEpMe3I60S