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In the second instalment of UrbanToronto’s coverage of the redevelopment proposals for the province’s former premiere entertainment venue, Ontario Place, we dig into the proposal from one of the private partners, Therme Group, who are envisioning a spa and wellness facility in response to a call from the government to bring new attractions to the site.
The Province’s decision last year to partner with Therme Group, Écorécréo, and entertainment brand Live Nation has been mired in controversy stemming from concern over the privatization of a beloved space with tremendous cultural significance, and the public has anxiously awaited the formal proposal with the expectation of disappointment — if not towards the design itself, then towards the vision. With the plans going public in late November, (Écorécréo pulled out of the plans for an adventure park on another part of the site a few months ago), after being submitted to the city with applications for Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA), we are taking a look at Therme Group’s proposal to help you better consider what it could mean for the future of Ontario Place.
In general terms, Therme Group’s proposal is a visually complex glass structure that climbs up to seven stories at its tallest point, offering a gross floor area (GFA) of 65,037m² of highly programmed recreational/wellness space. The proposal is designed by Toronto-based Diamond Schmitt Architects, and features all the makings of a landmark building, with dynamic undulating forms, eye-catching materiality, and a wealth of sustainability features.
While questions persist about how close the architectural vision presented in the renderings could be realized in the real world, especially when compared with the utilitarian realilties of Therme's existing locations in Europe, it’s the location that continues to be the big issue as far as the public reaction has shown, with many people concerned over the privatization of significant parts of the park. The recent submission both addresses some of the concerns through the evolution to the plan, and also simply provides far more detail than was known before.
Occupying the central area of the West Island, the only existing access to the site is by bridge, taking visitors from the mainland over a stretch of Lake Ontario to the lake-fill landmass. The proposal intends to incorporate this into the design, with plans for a new bridge that directs visitors to the West Island through an elaborately designed entrance pavilion located on the mainland, replacing the current West Entrance to Ontario Place, and just west of the proposed Ontario Plaza and transit hub outlined in yesterday’s story.
With vehicle access and parking being consolidated underground as part of the public realm improvement plan, visitors would ascend from a below grade drop off area up through a grade-level concourse to the ticket hall located one level above grade, which will be the access point to the new bridge. The ticket hall features panoramic windows offering views in all directions, while the roof of the pavilion maintains the undulating aesthetic of the larger building. Once through the ticket hall, visitors would travel up one more level to the bridge, which doubles as the change room and locker area, while containing the majority of the back-of-house house services on a discreet lower level.
Across the bridge, the main spa building is divided into three levels with a curated set of programming to offer unique experiences. The lowest level — the largest of the three — is the family recreation area, featuring a number of child-oriented attractions like water slides and a wave pool, while also offering a relaxation zone for users aged 16 and over. The next level up is a 2-floor area oriented towards wellness, offering saunas, sports related therapies, and also featuring other related spaces like a restaurant and outdoor terrace. Finally, the uppermost level is designed to allow visitors to experience the history and global traditions of thermal therapy.
Along with the spa complex, Therme Group has committed to an extensive landscaping overhaul of the West Island, some of the details of which were introduced in yesterday’s story such as native flora species introduction, new armour stone along the shore, a new beach, and a new swimming pier.
The Therme complex would be the first ticketed attraction to operate on the West Island since the closure of the theme park including its flume ride in 2012. Therme Group is planning for visitation numbers as high as 15,000 guests per day, with a yearly target of 5 million visitors.
UrbanToronto will continue our coverage the Ontario Place redevelopment plan soon, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Therme Spa/West Island at Ontario Place Database file, linked below, where you will find many more renderings. If you'd like, 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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| Related Companies: | BDP Quadrangle, Crozier & Associates Consulting Engineers, Diamond Schmitt Architects, LEA Consulting, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, STUDIO tla, Urban Strategies Inc. |
