Toronto Fort York Visitor Centre | ?m | 2s | Fort York Foundation | Patkau

Tewder said:
Moving some other 'lost' heritage buildings to the site can create a heritage node. They may lose in not being in their original locations (which have been lost or compromised anyway) but will gain in terms of increased heritage context and greater accessibility:

<snip>

..or Stanley Barracks, once part of a large grouping of buildings known as New Fort York could be moved and used as a visitor's centre or interpretation centre/museum of 1812. A plaque could commemorate where it once stood.
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Actually, aren't the existing buildings only a fraction of the original buildings inside the fort? I recall looking at a map inside one of the existing buildings that showed many more buildings than are now visible. The foundations are apparently still there, buried under the soil.

So if some or all of those foundations are used to support (or at least guide) reconstructed buildings built to the original patterns, the result would be a much more densely-occupied fort than what we see now.

Sure, it would not be 'original', but I think it would provide a better image of what the original fort looked like, and (possibly) be a bigger tourist draw.

Bill
 
Archivist said:
Patkau also did the Harbourfront School, which has never excited me very much. It would be nice to give them a second chance in the city, though.
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Agreed regarding that school, and the second chance, as 15 years worth of experience since then has shown that this pair can work some serious magic.

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City Planning Final Report

For consideration by Toronto and East York Community Council on Sept 15/09:

The City of Toronto’s Cultural Affairs Division proposes to build multipurpose Visitor Centre (“Visitor Centre”) on the lands municipally known as 100 Garrison Road and 800 Fleet Street, which are part of the Fort York National Historic Site (“Fort York”). The Visitor Centre will include, among other uses, a museum gift shop and a small café/restaurant to service visitors to Fort York. The need for a Visitor Centre has been recognized in a number of planning studies prepared for Fort York over the past 20 years. The Visitor Centre is part of the City’s Capital Budget and is one of the legacy projects for the upcoming Bicentennial of the War of 1812 commemoration.

The lands known as 100 Garrison Road and 800 Fleet Street are currently zoned ‘G’ (parkland). The proposed Visitor Centre includes commercial uses (retail gift shop and restaurant) are that are not permitted in a ‘G’ zone. Fort York is a public museum that existed on the subject lands prior to the enactment of the former City of Toronto General Zoning By-law No. 438-86, as amended, and is therefore a legal nonconforming use.

The proposal is to amend the General Zoning By-law No. 438-86, as amended, to recognize and permit the existing public museum and related uses within City parkland as well as to permit the erection and use of a new multipurpose Visitor Centre with a restaurant and gift shop.

Site Plan Approval for the Visitor Centre will also be required following the Zoning Bylaw amendment.

This report recommends approval of the proposed amendments to the Zoning By-law.​

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-21934.pdf
 
This is from the Friends of Fort York Newslewtter of August 2009. http://www.fortyork.ca/newsletter/F&D_08-09.pdf

The clock continues to tick as we enter the second half of 2009 and look towards having the entire 43 acre national historic site ready for the upcoming Bicentennial of the
War of 1812. The largest initiative, and the most timesensitive, is the design and construction of a new Visitor Orientation Centre. Working with a grant of up to $617,000
from Canadian Heritage, the ‘pre-construction’ phase of work has been initiated, which includes a two-stage design competition. As a result of the Stage I call for expressions
of interest, thirty-one submissions were received. The five teams short-listed to compete in Stage II of the competition, which involves conceptual design of the building, are led by: Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc., du Toit Allsopp Hillier/du Toit Architects Ltd., Patkau Architects Inc. with Kearns Mancini Architects, and rawdesign Inc. with Gareth Hoskins.
Once a winning conceptual scheme is selected, the objective will be to expedite the design and construction processes and then into the construction, working towards
having the facility completed for beginning of 2012. City Staff, the Friends of Fort York and the Fort York Foundation, are all working closely together in an attempt to make sure all funding is in-place to complete the project as planned.
A second grant application has just been submitted to Canadian Heritage’s Cultural Spaces Canada program for construction funding, and staff are optimistic that the
Province will be able to assist as well.
In addition to the design process, which will be undertaken over the next few months, other components, such as Stage II archaeological investigations for the Visitor Centre,
retaining a Project Manager, and rezoning Fort York NHS are being undertaken. The requirement to rezone the site is due to the fact that Fort York is a ‘legal non-conforming use’.
Although the majority of site is currently zoned ‘G’ (parkland), the proposed retail gift shop and any café-type operation within the Visitor Centre are commercial uses that are not permitted in a ‘G’ zone. The proposal is to amend the General Zoning By-law 438-86, as amended, to permit the existing public museum and a Visitor Centre with a restaurant/café component and retail gift shop.
 
It's a shame that the other structures that made up the Stanley Barracks were razed for a parking lot in the 1950's. The fort should have been restored, and we could have had an nice fortress overlooking the lake.
 
On City website today:

See: https://wx.toronto.ca/inter/pmmd/calls.nsf/0/1D3725A3C8E57E7485257643006718AC?OpenDocument

Professional Services, Architectural Services
Description: Stage 2 Design Competition RFP for Pre-Qualified Respondents-Fort York Visitor Centre
The purpose of this RFP is to select a professional architectural team to design a new Visitor Centre for Fort York National Historic Site, located at 100 Garrison Road, Toronto.

Teams that were short-listed through the Stage 1 Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) No. 9118-09-7049 (issued in February 2009) are invited through this RFP to submit a Proposal, which includes a design portion, for the Fort York Visitor Centre. The successful Proponent from this RFP (Stage 2 of the design competition) will be retained to provide full architectural services for a new Museum Visitor Centre at Fort York National Historic Site.

The City completed its evaluation of Pre-Qualification Submissions under the REOI (Stage 1 of the design competition). The five (5) Pre-Qualified Respondents who were identified as being eligible to submit Proposals in response to this RFP, in alphabetical order, are as follows:

- Baird Sampson Neuert Architects (Toronto, ON)

- Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc. (Toronto, ON)

- du Toit Architects Ltd. (Toronto, ON)

- Patkau Architects Inc. / Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. (Vancouver, BC / Toronto. ON)

- Raw Design Inc. in association with Gareth Hoskins Architects (Toronto, ON)

Only Proposals submitted by the five (5) Pre-Qualified Respondents listed above in response to this RFP will be considered by the City in accordance with this RFP, and all other Proposals will be returned unopened.
Issue date: October 2, 2009 Closing date: December 3, 2009 at 12:00 Noon
 
You’re invited to view and comment on designs from the finalists of the Fort York Visitor Centre Design Competition at an open house. The FortYork Visitor Centre, key to the revitalization of FortYork National Historic Site,is scheduled for completion for the Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812 in June 2012. Details:
Friday, December 4, 2009 to Sunday, December 6, 2009 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day TorontoCity Hall – Member’s Lounge 100 Queen Street West 12:00 p.m. Remarks on Friday, December 4, 2009 3:00-5:00 pm Light Refreshments on Sunday December 6, 2009
 
Visitor Centre proposals are now up on the city website.

Proposal A
Proposal B
Proposal C
Proposal D

C gets my vote although I think its interior spaces need to be reconsidered. Overall I think it makes the best use of the site, has the most effective landscaping and planning, and does the best job at getting the balance of integrating everything right.

A has the best museum feel to its interior, but I'm not a fan of its layout and positioning alongside the Gardiner.

B has the best interior overall that feels the most Canadian and is most evocative of the period, but I think that by putting it beside the Armoury it's too removed from the Fort.

D is really neat, but it just doesn't work for me.

Thoughts?
 
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A and B are the best looking I think. C is next, and D does't do much for me.
If I had to pick between two, I'd pick B or C. C would be my first choice.
Who designed each of these?
 
hmm...they are all sort of of underwhelming......
 
A for me - I found the rest of the proposals way too "busy" - and none of the them appear to be as materially sophisticated either.

Who designed each of these?
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If I have to guess

Scheme A: Patkau Architects with Kearns Mancini Architects Inc
Scheme B: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc; du Toit Allsopp Hillier / du Toit Architects Limited
Scheme C: Raw Design with Gareth Hoskins Architects.
Scheme D: Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

AoD
 
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