| |
|
Waterfront Corp. launches design competition for iconic Esplanade and Boulevard
Construction to start in fall 2006 on project that will provide
continuous public access across central waterfront
Toronto, March 20, 2006 - A prestigious jury of design and culture
professionals has selected five internationally recognized teams to
participate in a design competition that will deliver continuous public access
across Toronto's central waterfront and produce a bold, defining waterfront
identity, Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation chair, Robert Fung
announced today.
"The waterfront belongs to the people of Toronto. They need to be able to
get to it and to fully enjoy it once they get here," said Fung. "That's what
this project is about, giving the public uninterrupted, beautifully designed
access to their waterfront."
Making Waves, the City of Toronto's official plan for the central
waterfront identifies providing continuous public access and transforming
Queens Quay into a remarkable "Waterfront Drive" as important priorities in
removing barriers and connecting the city and the lake.
Thirty-eight design teams from 15 countries on four continents submitted
proposals for the competition. The five teams selected to compete are:
- Foster and Partners, London UK and Atelier Dreiseitl, Uberlingen,
Germany
- Stan Allen Architects, Princeton and Sarah Whiting and Ron Witte
Architects, Princeton
- Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, New York and Martmnez Lapena-Torres Architects, Barcelona
- West 8, Rotterdam and du Toit Allsopp Hillier, Toronto
- Snxhetta, Norway, Sasaki Associates, New York, ARCHITECTS, New York,
Weisz + Yoes Architecture, New York, H3, New York, Balmori Associates,
New York and Halcrow Yolles HPA, New York
Toronto architect Brigitte Shim chairs the jury that selected the teams
and that will choose the winning design. The other jury members are Toronto
filmmaker Atom Egoyan, Toronto urban designer Ken Greenberg, Toronto designer
Bruce Mau, Montreal landscape architect Claude Cormier and New York architect
Lise Anne Couture.
The design competition includes the area from the water's edge along the
Western Gap in the west to the Parliament Street Slip in the east, a distance
of 3.5 km. The designs will connect and build on existing successful spaces
like the Music Garden, the water's edge York and John Quay promenades and HtO
Park and provide a distinct and recognizable identity for Toronto's
revitalized waterfront.
Key components that the jury will be looking for in the winning design
include:
- Continuous public promenade from the Western Gap to the Parliament
Street Slip
- Completion of Martin Goodman Trail in this area
- Creation of major points of arrival where the heads of slips meet
Queens Quay
- Improved Queens Quay Boulevard
- Consistent standards for finishes, furniture, pavers, boardwalks,
railings, fixtures
- Sustainable approach that includes habitat and water quality
improvements
TWRC's Waterfront Design Review Panel will provide advice to the jury on
the final submissions. TWRC has also established a community advisory panel to
provide advice to the jury. The panel is chaired by Vikki Baron, executive
director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust.
The design teams will have approximately six weeks to produce their
designs. TWRC and the City of Toronto are finalizing a detailed design brief
which will be distributed to the five firms on March 30 as part of a site
tour. The teams will submit their designs the second week of May, following
which TWRC will hold a public exhibition to obtain community input. The
exhibition will run for 10 days. The winning design will be announced at the
end of May.
The design teams are each receiving an honourium of CA $30,000 for
participating in the design competition.
Funding for the first phase of construction of the Central Waterfront
Esplanade and Boulevard, rebuilding the heads of the slips, is included in the
10-year waterfront funding plan approved by the three levels of government in
the fall of 2005 and is scheduled to start in the fall of 2006.
-30-
Reference Documents
Backgrounder:
http://www.towaterfront.ca/dbdocs/441eceb540dfc.pdf
Jury Bio's:
http://www.towaterfront.ca/dbdocs/441eceb53bfc9.pdf
For further information:
Media Contact: Kristin Jenkins
Tel: (416) 214-1479
Email: kjenkins@towaterfront.ca
|
