ne of the most controversial pieces of architecture in the city has been released to the masses, with the help of a Saturday night launch that featured a street party for thousands of curious revellers, tours of the empty wing and a live rap concert.

Oh yeah, and fireworks at midnight.

The Toronto landmark — the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) - has been given new life after a six-year renovation, and the architecture has been both praised as one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in the city, while the design has also cursed by others as one of the most hideous.

The entire structure has undergone a reported $270-million renovation and is crowned by the crystal, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, which cost about $135 million to build. The not-quite-finished, 10-storey-high crystal overlooks the street as well as the museum's new main entrance.

The Renaissance ROM expansion - described by Governor General Michaelle Jean as such: "This bold and alluring building is proof of the spirit of ingenuity that exists in this country" – is 25 percent glass, with the remainder covered in brushed silver aluminum.

The crystal, named after billionaire investor Michael Lee-Chin, as it was his donation of $30 million that launched the ROM's renaissance campaign, is indeed aggressive design in epic proportions, with its idiosyncratic sloping walls and sharp features that are already globally known. This sharp angled look trickles on down right to the Crystal Five restaurant (dubbed C5, as it's located on level 5), designed by II X IV Design Associates.

With its futuristic, metallic look, 175,000-square-foot, aluminum-and-glass-covered structure has been controversial since the design - that much-publicized drawing on a cocktail napkin - was first revealed. With that napkin design now in full form, the Daniel Libeskind design, visible from several blocks away, is a collision of classic 1900-era sophistication and aluminum-and-glass boldness.

Friday night, an elite crowd that included former prime minister Brian Mulroney got a sneak peak of the crystal before Saturday's official event. At the Saturday opening of the new wing, a guests were treated to "A World of Possibilities", a three-stage event that included performances from David Foster, singer Deborah Cox, Jann Arden, rapper K'naan, jazz singer Dione Taylor, East Coast fiddler Natalie McMaster and the classical quartet The Canadian Tenors.