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 waxing philosophically with the submission from RDH Architects, Mecanoo Architecten, Two Row Architect, and NAK Design Strategies.
Each proposal has taken on a theme, and this one is inspired by “A Dish with One Spoon” – an Indigenous philosophy for sharing hunting territories. Borrowing from the modern meaning of the phrase, this design is all about coexistence and sustainability.
The building would utilize Indigenous aesthetics, with the façade containing Brutalist components while preserving the concrete Heritage elements at the base. Further up, the design incorporates bird-friendly triple glass, as well as wooden and glazed ceramic panels.
By evoking Indigenous ideas, the project’s goal is to build strong connections with Indigenous creatives. That desire for inclusivity is immediately apparent with the camped foyer and lobby areas. The design calls for large open space for additional activities and visually connected areas.
In moving the entrance to the corner, the STLC would be better linked to Maamigin Park, bolstering the connection to nature. The ground floor is reimagined as a space for community gathering, with that open area extending from the Living Room and café.
Further to the theme, the design exceeds the minimum accessibility requirements. The submission incorporates international standards and guidelines from multiple associations and governing bodies. The Main Stage Theatre is also proposed to have far superior access compared to the previous theatres at the STLC.
The 750 seats of the Main Stage Theatre would be wrapped around the auditorium to bring the audience closer for a shared experience and to improve visibility for all. The theatre lobbies are to have interconnected balconies with plenty of light.
On the fourth floor, the Acoustical Hall would include 300 seats and be designed for rehearsals and musical performances that do not need to be amplified. The timber clad interior borrows from Indigenous themes and materials. The seating of the hall would be retractable to allow for a large open space to be utilized for rehearsals or other events.
The second floor is set to feature offices and child-mining spaces, furthering the sense of coexistence. The third floor is to lead to a multi-functional bridge connected to Meridian Hall. The bridge continues the themes of openness and sharing by providing a large layout for performances and exhibitions viewable by all. The bridge would also connect to rooftop terraces looking over Maamigin Park.
The proposal also calls for a number of green features. From a geothermal bore-field below grade, to energy generated from integrated green roofs, the building would strive for an eco-friendly approach the ground up. In between, the structure of the floors entails minimal outside air and heating to encourage sustainability.
The STLC Next website provides more images and PDFs expanding on each of the submissions. Stay tuned tomorrow for the final of the five proposals from Zeidler Architecture, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Two Row Architect, and their theme of “past to present to future.”
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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