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Today, Therme Group unveiled the latest design for the Therme Spa and West Island at Ontario Place. The Austria-based company says the updated plans aim for a harmonious blend of leisure attractions and expansive public spaces, all while paying homage to the site's rich heritage.
UrbanToronto covered the initial plans when they were announced in April. Since then, Therme Group has had Diamond Schmitt Architects and STUDIO tla update the design for the spa and West Island after feedback from public meetings, community engagement, and City of Toronto staff. The additional parkland, designed in a campus-style layout, could create the largest public gathering space on Toronto's western waterfront.
With 35% more public space than the original design, or about 4 more acres, the West Island will now feature nearly 16 acres of public space, with some of the rooftops of the reworked spa building included in those figures. This expansion of public space is in response to criticism that that too much public land was being lost for the project.
For many Torontonians, memories of Ontario Place are filled with summer concerts, IMAX movies at the Cinesphere, and strolls along the waterfront, so Therme says that changes to the design will honour those memories though enhanced views of the Cinesphere, Pods, and the downtown skyline. They are now set to become the focal points of sightlines from the new works, aiming to not overshadow the site's historical significance with the new additions.
Therme Canada says community engagement has played a pivotal role in shaping the updated design, having actively sought feedback through a public consultation process, while specifically inviting insights from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN). The reworked design is meant to be both respectful of Indigenous heritage and responsive to the needs and desires of the broader community. Gimaa (Chief) Stacey LaForme of the MCFN noted that the "deep and ongoing partnership with Therme continues to bring us closer to our shared vision for cultural revitalization and place-keeping."
One of the features of the redesign was noted particularly; the revamped bridge that connects the West Island to Lake Shore Boulevard West, which now is also to serve as a green space. Drawing inspiration from the Credit River's meandering path, the bridge is meant as a symbolic journey, celebrating the deep-rooted history of the MCFN on the shores of Lake Ontario. Another emphasis was the redesign of the West Island's Eastern Headland, dubbed 'waabinoong' which means the eastern direction in Ojibwe. Here, MCFN's insights shaped its transformation, envisioning it as a serene backdrop for all manner of events.
As parkland increases in the new plan, the Therme building's footprint has been reduced by 25 per cent. Eschewing a monolithic structure, the new design adopts a campus-style layout. Dr. Robert Hanea, CEO & Chairman of Therme Group, emphasized the project's commitment to community feedback. He noted that "the design that we revealed today delivers the same great waterpark and wellbeing attractions. Thanks to feedback, it has even more open parkland, natural spaces, and public trails, and more places for people to gather."
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.
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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. |
