A Zoning By-law Amendment application to the City of Toronto from April, 2019 seeking permission to develop a nine-storey addition to the OCAD University campus has been updated with new materials showcasing the design. The expansion is slated for the surface parking lot on the west side of McCaul Street between the 'Main Building' of OCAD University—Will Alsop's Sharp Centre for Design surmounts it—and the Art Gallery of Ontario to the north.

Looking northwest from McCaul Street, image via submission to the City of Toronto

A Site Plan Approval application accompanies the resubmitted zoning documents, which respond to feedback issued from City agencies in April, 2020. A community information meeting was held on January 15 and the project went before the City's Design Review Panel in June, 2020.

Context map, image via submission to the City of Toronto

The design is a collaboration between MorphosisTeeple Architects, and Two Row Architect. The general shape and massing of the development remains intact compared to the previous version.

Looking west towards the subject site, image retrieved from Google Street View

Refinements to the design relate mostly to the building envelope. Employing a mix of glazing and metal panels, the previous proposal sported charcoal-toned cladding. The updated design swaps this aesthetic with a greenish-brown hue. New renderings show how this new design relates to its surroundings, including the AGO's four-storey Jackman Hall to the immediate north.

Previous design, image via submission to the City of Toronto

A glazed display wall at the base of the new elevator shaft has also been added to the east elevation to animate the McCaul Street frontage.

Looking south from Dundas Street, image via submission to the City of Toronto

In their discussions with the University, City staff had suggested the use of a glass elevator core to achieve a visual connection between the exterior and interior spaces. OCAD rejected the idea, citing cost and long-term maintenance requirements. The design team will however study other opportunities to improve the elevator core massing through the Site Plan Approval process.

East elevation, image via submission to the City of Toronto

No vehicular parking is proposed. A total of 166 existing reinstated bicycle spaces will be provided along the McCaul frontage and along Grange Road, to the south of Butterfield Park.

View from Grange Park, image via submission to the City of Toronto

You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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