junctionist
Senior Member
Unacceptable. It was the least popular design here. I hope they're not also buying gifts for people on the selection committee.
Toronto Etobicoke Civic Centre | 75.82m | 16s | CreateTO | Henning Larsen
- Thread starter anonymous0024
- Start date
Unacceptable. It was the least popular design here. I hope they're not also buying gifts for people on the selection committee.
44 North
Senior Member
I'm not going to vote because a) I'm not 100% decided and think 3/4 are solid, and b) I see from the previous posts that the poll may have gotten polluted. But from looking things over I have to say I've become quite partial to the KPMB. It has a classic mid-century look to it, which I guess is my bias. If there was an old school concrete-clad Brutalist proposal I'd probably be into it just because it harkens back to a previous time. I like rectilinear Modernist style.
What I feel could make or break the KMPB is the how the cladding is done. It's hard to tell from the renders, and a quick read over says it's to be bronze, but surely that could be interesting...bronze with a bit of black highlights. And even the ground level and podium are to be squared rectilinear. I agree with a previous poster about Jack Pine being an odd choice. They can be a very attractive tree, but they're finnicky and more often than not can become stunted and scrubby. But they're evergreen, and have been immortalized as a sort of Canadian icon. But a switch to white or red pine could probably be done with the general public not even noticing.
But... a signature is obviously important. For something that stands out and can make it into logos or postcarsds, I think Moriyami + Teshima could be that. Proper square with a neat glass angle.
What I feel could make or break the KMPB is the how the cladding is done. It's hard to tell from the renders, and a quick read over says it's to be bronze, but surely that could be interesting...bronze with a bit of black highlights. And even the ground level and podium are to be squared rectilinear. I agree with a previous poster about Jack Pine being an odd choice. They can be a very attractive tree, but they're finnicky and more often than not can become stunted and scrubby. But they're evergreen, and have been immortalized as a sort of Canadian icon. But a switch to white or red pine could probably be done with the general public not even noticing.
But... a signature is obviously important. For something that stands out and can make it into logos or postcarsds, I think Moriyami + Teshima could be that. Proper square with a neat glass angle.
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junctionist
Senior Member
They don't even know what kind of tree to plant for a lush landscape. How could anyone vote for that? One harsh summer or wave of disease, and every tree is gone because they're all the same species. Choose from the group that demonstrates basic competence at both architecture and landscape design.
WrightMinded
New Member
KPMB (or, rather West 8) said they picked the jack pine for a reason: the branches are up high so they won't block the view when the square is used for movies, concerts, and other events. Never mind it would take years for jack pines to grow that high (and they're not good city trees being sensitive to pollution, so they may never get there), but won't the trunks still be in the way?
Yeah, no matter how many votes we get in the poll from the KPMB/West 8 team members, that won't change the fact that the jack pines, while lovely on a Georgian Bay shoreline, are very unlikely to work here.
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AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
I think if a firm need 40 or so of their supporters sign up to skew the poll their way instead of posting why their design deserve to get more support, they have lost the argument on UT already. Let this be a record of that failure.
AoD
AoD
Build Toronto has just announced that the Henning Larsen team has won the design competition.
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City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
==========================================
News Release
May 4, 2017
Build Toronto announces winning team selected to design new Etobicoke Civic Centre
Build Toronto, in partnership with the City of Toronto, announces Adamson Associates Architects, Henning Larsen Architects and PMA Landscape Architects as the winning design team selected from the Etobicoke Civic Centre Design Competition to design a new 46,500-square-metre (500,000-square-foot) Etobicoke Civic Centre as part of the six-hectare (14-acre) Westwood Theatre Lands redevelopment.
"The calibre of innovation and creativity of these international submissions was just fantastic. Choosing one winner was extremely difficult," said Councillor David Shiner (Ward 24 Willowdale), Board Chair of Build Toronto and Chair of the City's Planning and Growth Management Committee. "This is a testament to what the successful collaboration between Build Toronto and the City's Real Estate and Planning divisions can lead to in great urban design for what is sure to be a phenomenal new Etobicoke Civic Centre."
The winning design, developed by a partnership of architects from Toronto and Copenhagen, best satisfied the guiding principles established in the Request for Proposals, showing flexibility and an iconic design well suited for the community.
"This proposal sensitively reinterprets its context of place and possesses a depth of design story beyond the skin of its built form. It showcases a unique ability to openly welcome and engage everyone in a setting that is both civic and communal," said Gordon Stratford, Senior Vice President and Design Principal, HOK and the Jury Chair of the Etobicoke Civic Centre Design Competition. "On behalf of the jury, I would like to acknowledge all participating design teams and thank them for their considerable efforts in interpreting the competition brief and presenting thoughtful solutions for the integration of office, community hub and civic space. The calibre of submissions in this competition was remarkable."
The five-member jury made the recommendation for this proposal based on its ability to meet four key concepts:
• Environmental sustainability – This proposal demonstrates an ability to achieve a net zero target, and the implementation of a progressive wellness standard for the future workforce occupying the new facility.
• Flexibility – The design of interior and exterior public spaces and related programs enables a broad range and size of community activities. As well, the proposed office floor plate offers the greatest flexibility in support of achieving the City’s office modernization program.
• Community identity – This design builds its story upon the context and diversity of Etobicoke, creating an animated visual signature of "a place of many homes" that is both welcoming and dynamic. The resulting integrity of design concept will frame future neighbourhood growth with its distinctive landmark presence.
• Pedestrian scale – The design has sculpted a large program into a context-sensitive cascade of articulated smaller built forms and spaces, resulting in an inviting interior and exterior pedestrian scale and animated street presence. This approach also enables ease of phasing development over time. As well. the landscape architecture’s promise of a spectrum of public outdoor activity spaces has the potential to infuse the poetic yet pragmatic building design story throughout the site.
The new Etobicoke Civic Centre is composed of five program elements – municipal offices including gathering and civic function space, a community recreation centre, a Toronto Public Library district branch, a child care centre and an outdoor civic plaza. A new urban park, south of the civic plaza, will complement the outdoor civic function for new and existing residents.
Four shortlisted design teams publicly presented their designs on Tuesday, April 25 to more than 140 community members, councillors, City staff and the project teams in the council chamber at the existing Etobicoke Civic Centre. Following the submission of community comments, the designs were then judged the following day by the jury.
"There is no civic initiative more important to the Etobicoke community than the redevelopment of the Westwood Theatre Lands. This exciting development will become the new heart of Etobicoke where residents can join together to celebrate civic, cultural and seasonal activities," said Councillor Justin Di Ciano (Ward 5 Etobicoke-Lakeshore) and Build Toronto Board Director. "I want to thank the professional and capable leadership of Build Toronto for their compassion and dedication to this project on behalf of Ward 5 residents."
"We are very excited at the prospect of creating a new centre in the heart of the Etobicoke community with a number of new services and facilities for the community while at the same time providing a much improved, efficient, healthy and sustainable accommodation for staff," said Josie Scioli, Toronto's Chief Corporate Officer.
With the completion of the design competition, following City Council direction, Build Toronto will undertake a business case analysis that will closely examine the merits of a new build versus ongoing maintenance and operation of the existing civic centre. The business case will be presented to Council in fall 2017.
Catalyzed by the current Six Points Reconfiguration project that is urbanizing the area, Build Toronto was directed by the City of Toronto to facilitate a master planning exercise for the redevelopment of the Westwood Theatre Lands. This master planning exercise, completed in 2014, defined a pattern of streets, blocks, development sites and open spaces designed to encourage significant commercial office employment and residential growth in the area.
The new Etobicoke Civic Centre will be located within Etobicoke Centre, one of four vital mixed-use communities that were identified in the City's Official Plan as being where the city’s rapid transit network, where jobs, housing and services are concentrated.
Stage 1 of the design competition began in December 2016 through a Request for Supplier Qualifications. Stage 2 of the competition was launched in February this year, when the shortlisted teams were selected to submit their proposals through a Request for Proposals.
The shortlisted design teams were:
• Adamson Associates Architects | Henning Larsen Architects | PMA Landscape Architects
• Diamond Schmitt Architects | Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
• KPMB Architects | West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
• Moriyama & Teshima Architects | MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects | FORREC Ltd.
Images of the shortlisted team’s proposed design visions are available at http://bit.ly/2pFWMGp.
This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/2p1rZVn
About Build Toronto
Build Toronto Inc. is an independent real estate and development investment corporation established by the City of Toronto to create value from the City’s underutilized real estate assets. The company has a unique focus on meeting its City-Building Strategic Priorities, as well as generating a reasonable net financial return for the City. Build Toronto reports to a professional Board of Directors and operates with a vision to develop surplus and underused City land to attract commercial development, create desirable jobs and improve the livability of the City. Build Toronto officially launched and started full operations in May 2010. For more information, visit http://www.buildtoronto.ca.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. In 2017, Toronto will honour Canada's 150th birthday with "TO Canada with Love," a year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms and on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto.
==========================================
News Release
May 4, 2017
Build Toronto announces winning team selected to design new Etobicoke Civic Centre
Build Toronto, in partnership with the City of Toronto, announces Adamson Associates Architects, Henning Larsen Architects and PMA Landscape Architects as the winning design team selected from the Etobicoke Civic Centre Design Competition to design a new 46,500-square-metre (500,000-square-foot) Etobicoke Civic Centre as part of the six-hectare (14-acre) Westwood Theatre Lands redevelopment.
"The calibre of innovation and creativity of these international submissions was just fantastic. Choosing one winner was extremely difficult," said Councillor David Shiner (Ward 24 Willowdale), Board Chair of Build Toronto and Chair of the City's Planning and Growth Management Committee. "This is a testament to what the successful collaboration between Build Toronto and the City's Real Estate and Planning divisions can lead to in great urban design for what is sure to be a phenomenal new Etobicoke Civic Centre."
The winning design, developed by a partnership of architects from Toronto and Copenhagen, best satisfied the guiding principles established in the Request for Proposals, showing flexibility and an iconic design well suited for the community.
"This proposal sensitively reinterprets its context of place and possesses a depth of design story beyond the skin of its built form. It showcases a unique ability to openly welcome and engage everyone in a setting that is both civic and communal," said Gordon Stratford, Senior Vice President and Design Principal, HOK and the Jury Chair of the Etobicoke Civic Centre Design Competition. "On behalf of the jury, I would like to acknowledge all participating design teams and thank them for their considerable efforts in interpreting the competition brief and presenting thoughtful solutions for the integration of office, community hub and civic space. The calibre of submissions in this competition was remarkable."
The five-member jury made the recommendation for this proposal based on its ability to meet four key concepts:
• Environmental sustainability – This proposal demonstrates an ability to achieve a net zero target, and the implementation of a progressive wellness standard for the future workforce occupying the new facility.
• Flexibility – The design of interior and exterior public spaces and related programs enables a broad range and size of community activities. As well, the proposed office floor plate offers the greatest flexibility in support of achieving the City’s office modernization program.
• Community identity – This design builds its story upon the context and diversity of Etobicoke, creating an animated visual signature of "a place of many homes" that is both welcoming and dynamic. The resulting integrity of design concept will frame future neighbourhood growth with its distinctive landmark presence.
• Pedestrian scale – The design has sculpted a large program into a context-sensitive cascade of articulated smaller built forms and spaces, resulting in an inviting interior and exterior pedestrian scale and animated street presence. This approach also enables ease of phasing development over time. As well. the landscape architecture’s promise of a spectrum of public outdoor activity spaces has the potential to infuse the poetic yet pragmatic building design story throughout the site.
The new Etobicoke Civic Centre is composed of five program elements – municipal offices including gathering and civic function space, a community recreation centre, a Toronto Public Library district branch, a child care centre and an outdoor civic plaza. A new urban park, south of the civic plaza, will complement the outdoor civic function for new and existing residents.
Four shortlisted design teams publicly presented their designs on Tuesday, April 25 to more than 140 community members, councillors, City staff and the project teams in the council chamber at the existing Etobicoke Civic Centre. Following the submission of community comments, the designs were then judged the following day by the jury.
"There is no civic initiative more important to the Etobicoke community than the redevelopment of the Westwood Theatre Lands. This exciting development will become the new heart of Etobicoke where residents can join together to celebrate civic, cultural and seasonal activities," said Councillor Justin Di Ciano (Ward 5 Etobicoke-Lakeshore) and Build Toronto Board Director. "I want to thank the professional and capable leadership of Build Toronto for their compassion and dedication to this project on behalf of Ward 5 residents."
"We are very excited at the prospect of creating a new centre in the heart of the Etobicoke community with a number of new services and facilities for the community while at the same time providing a much improved, efficient, healthy and sustainable accommodation for staff," said Josie Scioli, Toronto's Chief Corporate Officer.
With the completion of the design competition, following City Council direction, Build Toronto will undertake a business case analysis that will closely examine the merits of a new build versus ongoing maintenance and operation of the existing civic centre. The business case will be presented to Council in fall 2017.
Catalyzed by the current Six Points Reconfiguration project that is urbanizing the area, Build Toronto was directed by the City of Toronto to facilitate a master planning exercise for the redevelopment of the Westwood Theatre Lands. This master planning exercise, completed in 2014, defined a pattern of streets, blocks, development sites and open spaces designed to encourage significant commercial office employment and residential growth in the area.
The new Etobicoke Civic Centre will be located within Etobicoke Centre, one of four vital mixed-use communities that were identified in the City's Official Plan as being where the city’s rapid transit network, where jobs, housing and services are concentrated.
Stage 1 of the design competition began in December 2016 through a Request for Supplier Qualifications. Stage 2 of the competition was launched in February this year, when the shortlisted teams were selected to submit their proposals through a Request for Proposals.
The shortlisted design teams were:
• Adamson Associates Architects | Henning Larsen Architects | PMA Landscape Architects
• Diamond Schmitt Architects | Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
• KPMB Architects | West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
• Moriyama & Teshima Architects | MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects | FORREC Ltd.
Images of the shortlisted team’s proposed design visions are available at http://bit.ly/2pFWMGp.
This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/2p1rZVn
About Build Toronto
Build Toronto Inc. is an independent real estate and development investment corporation established by the City of Toronto to create value from the City’s underutilized real estate assets. The company has a unique focus on meeting its City-Building Strategic Priorities, as well as generating a reasonable net financial return for the City. Build Toronto reports to a professional Board of Directors and operates with a vision to develop surplus and underused City land to attract commercial development, create desirable jobs and improve the livability of the City. Build Toronto officially launched and started full operations in May 2010. For more information, visit http://www.buildtoronto.ca.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. In 2017, Toronto will honour Canada's 150th birthday with "TO Canada with Love," a year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms and on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto.
GeneralGrievance
Active Member
Here's our newly published front-page post about the winning entry, going over some of the jury rationale from the press release above:
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/05/henning-larsen-team-wins-etobicoke-civic-centre-competition
For a more in-depth look at the Henning Larsen design, here's our previous story on it:
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/04/etobicoke-civic-centre-henning-larsen-adamson-assoc-pma
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/05/henning-larsen-team-wins-etobicoke-civic-centre-competition
For a more in-depth look at the Henning Larsen design, here's our previous story on it:
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/04/etobicoke-civic-centre-henning-larsen-adamson-assoc-pma
salsa
Senior Member
Hilarious that someone thought that a bunch of frivolous KPMB votes in an Urban Toronto poll would sway the outcome. Nice try.
jcam
Active Member
Should this be re-named 'new' Etobicoke Civic Centre, to distinguish it from the old? I imagine once this is open, we'll see redevelopment of the 'old' one.
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
UrbanToronto forum polls are serious business.
I am personaly glad that Henning Larsen has won, on architecture alone. It was definitely my favourite. I had not closely looked at the urban design of the park until others have mentioned it, and now I agree that the park could use some work to redesign. Less modernist elements and more human-friendly public space design, please.
Hopefully, if UT forum poll was important enough for one firm to brigade, it means that the winning firm will look here for constructive feedback and improve the public space.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Update from the Oct Exec Committee Meeting:
Item: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.EX28.12
Report: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-107650.pdf
AoD
Item: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.EX28.12
Report: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-107650.pdf
AoD
Essentially they're looking for funding to do the design work and take care of property zoning and ownership issues, with an eye to getting an estimated total cost for building the project presented to Council in Q1 2019.
No surprise this is not a quick process… but I was hoping we'd have shovels in the ground before 2020.
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No surprise this is not a quick process… but I was hoping we'd have shovels in the ground before 2020.
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Next steps in the study are recommended by Executive Committee to be approved by City Council on November 7, as per the updated first link in @AlvinofDiaspar's post above.
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