12K 
It has been more than two years since we last reported on the new Etobicoke Civic Centre (ECC) that is planned as the centrepiece of a reinvented Etobicoke Centre, but much has been happening in the background in the meantime. Since that last update, the reconfiguration of the Six Points intersection has been completed and opened to traffic, and plans for the surrounding lands have slowly been materializing, painting a more complete picture of what the future density node will look like. Documents have now been uploaded for the site plan application of the ECC that show a refinement of the building as it edges toward construction.
The result of a high-profile international competition in 2017, the design team of Henning Larsen Architects and Adamson Associates won the commission for the ECC and quickly got to work on their proposal for a collection of angled volumes facing a main civic square on the site bounded by the reconfigured Dundas, Kipling, and Bloor. The massing was shifted and slimmed down in 2019 but the main concept remained and has been refined in this latest submission. The height of the building still remains at 16 storeys, stepping down to 13, 10, 6, 3, and 2 storeys in successive volumes.
The multi-functional building contains the Council chambers and civic offices for Etobicoke; a gymnasium with elevated running track; a swimming pool; a daycare; a library branch; an art gallery; and many other community amenities, including meeting rooms, fitness rooms, and multi-purpose spaces that can be accessed by the public.
The building has three main entrances. The ground floor is accessed from the south through the civic square that runs along Dundas, at the level of the library and fitness areas. Given the slope of the site, two other entrances provide access to the second floor from the west off of Kipling and from the north off of Bloor. All three entrances lead to a central double-height atrium, which provides connections to all public functions in the building.
The site plan application did not provide any new interior renderings or information about interior finishes, but it did provide plenty of updates on the exterior of the building.
The main cladding material will be a gold-coloured aluminum spandrel panel, along with matching gold-coloured vertical fins. The glass of the towers will also be tinted in a gold hue to match the cladding. Rounding out the material palette, grey aluminum spandrel panels, stone cladding, and architectural concrete are used in small quantities on the building, while the glass on the lower public levels will not feature the gold tint.
A host of new renderings provide a more realistic interpretation of how the building will appear, in contrast to earlier schematic renderings that only showed intent. The renderings also include a more intimate look at the public realm and streetscape around the building and across the civic square.
The civic square is left largely open, but contains a water feature similar to that in Nathan Philips Square, comprising a scattering of vertical water jets that do not detract from the functionality of the space. Around the building, plenty of benches and seating areas are integrated into raised planters to provide places of respite.
The streetscape shows plenty of trees on all sides of the ECC, with generous sidewalk widths and accommodations for bikes and necessary infrastructure. Several programmed roof terraces are also included on the building, which will serve as outdoor play areas for the daycare, terraces for the wedding chapel, and an outdoor amenity for staff of the Council offices.
Construction is loosely expected to begin on the ECC in 2022, with occupancy anticipated for Q1 2026. This site plan application is one of the last steps in the process toward full approvals.
We will keep you updated as the Etobicoke Civic Centre inches toward construction, but in the meantime, you can find more in our Database file for the project, linked below, and join in on the discussion by checking out the associated Forum thread or by leaving a comment in the space provided on this page.
* * *
UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insider here.
| Related Companies: | Adamson Associates Architects, Entuitive, EQ Building Performance Inc., Knightsbridge, Multiplex, Mulvey & Banani |
