Moriyama, Raymond Raphael Junichi, 1929-2023

Raymond Moriyama was born on October 11th, 1929 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He spent part of his teenage years interned as a Japanese Canadian in the British Columbia interior. After the War, his family moved to Hamilton, Ontario where he attended high school. He received his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Toronto School of Architecture (1954) and his Master of Architecture at McGill University (1957 - Architecture and Planning). Moriyama worked for the City of Toronto Planning Board (1955-1956) then the architectural firm of Fleury, Arthur and Barclay (1957-1958). He left to set up his own practice in Yorkville, Raymond Moriyama, Architects and Planners, later relocating the firm to the renowned 32 Davenport Road site in 1966. For a period around 1958, Moriyama was associated with Murray Watts. In 1970, he went into partnership with Ted Teshima.


Moriyama attracted important residential and business clients while developing his practice, but has mainly been known for institutional commissions. His early well-known projects include Edwards Gardens shelter, 1958; the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 1963; Brock University, 1969; and the Scarborough Town Centre, 1973. Moriyama received the Massey Medal for architecture in 1961 and 1975 and was awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal in 1997, in recognition of his achievement and contribution to the profession. In 1982, Moriyama won the Governor General's Medal for Architecture for his design of a Japanese Ceremonial Bell and for the Metro Toronto Reference Library. He received this honour again in 1987 for his design of Science North (Sudbury, Ontario).


Prominent or award-winning designs by his firm, Moriyama & Teshima Architects are extensive and include: Bay Bloor Radio interiors; Bata Shoe Museum; Malton and Barrie civic centres; Whitby and Ottawa-Carleton Municipal Halls; the University of Western Ontario's new John Labatt Visual Arts Centre; buildings at York, McMaster, Brock, Guelph and Windsor universities; North York City Centre and Library; Casino Rama (Rama Township, Ontario); River Run Centre (Guelph); Mississauga and Durham YMCAs; Peace Bridge Commercial Centre (Ft. Erie), and the Ramsay Lake plan, 1991 (Sudbury).


Raymond Moriyama's work has been featured in several international architectural journals and in television documentaries. Moriyama was elected as the new Chancellor of Brock University by the University Senate in 2001 and is the recepient of several Honorary Degrees. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario.


Moriyama married Sachi, his childhood friend from Vancouver, in 1954 and together, they had five children. Two of their sons, Ajon and Jason, also became architects.


Moriyama and Teshima retired in 2003, transitioning to emeritus partners and consultants in their firm and passing the leadership on to younger partners including Moriyama's sons, Ajon and Jason.


Raymond Moriyama died on September 1st, 2023 at the age of 93.