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For over 50 years, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts (STLC) has been a premier location for performing arts shows in downtown Toronto. Home to the Bluma Appel and Jane Mallett Theatres at 27 Front Street, the space has undergone some renovations since its inception. Now, a new design competition would bring a reimagining of the site.
UrbanToronto previously looked at how TOLive and CreateTO, the agencies that respectively manage the City’s major civic theatres and real estate portfolio, have partnered to set up an international design competition. The details of the five finalists can be found on the competition’s website until March 3. This week we’re taking daily dives into each of the proposals, proceeding alphabetically through the list by lead local architect, and today we’re floating over to the submission from Diamond Schmitt Architects, Smoke Architecture, and MVVA.
Each proposal has taken on a theme, and this entry showcases a concept “shaped by water.” Beyond the wavy shape of the exterior, the interior integrates flowing and circular shapes, including curved walls throughout the building to recreate Toronto’s shoreline with Lake Ontario.
The architecture and setup for this five-storey building takes into consideration the natural world and the urban landscape. The childminding area encouraging a sense of community would connect to an outdoor terrace. The restaurant would connect to the lobby and public street. The open and interconnected spaces aim to give the sense that “the building is alive.”
A major goal with this design is to have it flow with the living world around it. The proposed structure would be Canada’s first zero-carbon performing arts centre, with energy use along with operational and embodied carbon being well below benchmarks set by the Toronto Green Standard. The construction incorporates perforated metals, aluminum panels, and a triple-glazed curtain wall that would be bird friendly.
Just as bodies of water connect and flow together, this take on the SLTC intends to connect artist spaces on all levels, and provide open space for circulation in the back of house area. The studios for artists in residence would connect directly to the lobby, with a gathering area in the street lobby as well.
The submission uses natural and regional inspirations, including Indigenous concepts, to mould its ideas of inclusion, diversity, and community.
The STLC Next website provides more images and PDFs expanding on each of the submissions. Stay tuned tomorrow for the proposal from Hariri Pontarini Architects, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA and their theme of transparence.
A public event to hear more about the entries is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7 at the STLC, with doors opening at 5 PM and presentations beginning at 6 PM. Virtual attendance of the event can be secured through registering at at STLC Next website, linked above, where your thoughts about the design proposals can also be recorded.
Following the March 7 event and public feedback, the entries will be judged by a jury made up of leaders in the fields of architecture, culture, Indigenous design, landscape architecture, and planning. The jury members are:
maxine bailey, Executive Director of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and co-founder of the Black Artists Network in Dialogue (BAND)
Meg Graham, Architect and Founder, Superkül (Chair)
Seema Jethalal, Former Regional Director General, Canadian Heritage, and inaugural Managing Director of Daniels Spectrum
Lori Marchand, Managing Director, Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre Ottawa
Sadie Marshall, Artist
Thomas Payne, Architect and Founder, Thomas Payne Architect
Marc Ryan, Landscape Architect and Founder, PublicWork
The winning design is set to be announced the week of March 13, 2023. A more detailed version of the winner will be brought before the Executive and City Council the following month.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. 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. You can also leave "a vote" in our thread via our informal poll.
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| Related Companies: | Hariri Pontarini Architects |
