{"id":13685,"date":"2023-03-01T15:01:43","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T23:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/st-lawrence-centre-redevelopment-proposal-3-transparence\/"},"modified":"2023-03-01T15:01:45","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T23:01:45","slug":"st-lawrence-centre-redevelopment-proposal-3-transparence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/st-lawrence-centre-redevelopment-proposal-3-transparence\/","title":{"rendered":"St Lawrence Centre Redevelopment Proposal 3: Transparence"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For over 50 years, the\u00a0St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts<\/a>\u00a0(STLC) has been a premier location for performing arts shows in downtown Toronto. Home to the\u00a0Bluma Appel and Jane Mallett Theatres<\/a>\u00a0at 27 Front Street, the space has undergone some renovations since its inception. Now,\u00a0a new design competition<\/a>\u00a0would bring a reimagining of the site.<\/p>\n

UrbanToronto previously looked at<\/a>\u00a0how TOLive and\u00a0CreateTO<\/a>, the agencies that respectively manage the City\u2019s 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\u2019s website until March 3. This week we\u2019re taking daily dives into each of the proposals, proceeding alphabetically through the list by lead local architect, and today we\u2019re shedding light on the submission from Hariri Pontarini Architects<\/a>,\u00a0LMN Architects<\/a>, Tawaw Collective,\u00a0Smoke Architecture<\/a>, and\u00a0SLA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

Each proposal has taken on a theme, and this one showcases the concept of \u201ctransparence.\u201d The proposal quotes American writer and activist Susan Sontag<\/a> in describing the term as \u201cexperiencing the luminousness of the thing in itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

This reimagining of the STLC envisions it with a transparent fa\u00e7ade wrapping along the north and west sides of the five-storey building. This transparency would highlight the wooden vertical fins inside and the lively colour palette.<\/p>\n

Lobby of the St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

This openness continues in the ground floor design, which features continuous user flow and views of the park outside. The triple-height lobby would be wood-clad with radial ceiling element beams, creating an open and inviting space. The ground floor\u2019s design would form an L-shape with clear views of Front Street and Scott Street. The entrance canopy at the corner of those two streets is intended to clearly highlight the entrance and play into the theme of transparency.<\/p>\n

Ground floor plan for the St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

Continuing that idea up above, the fourth-floor lobby and acoustic hall are designed to lead to a large open terrace. The terrace itself would be designed to allow for receptions and performances that could be enjoyed by pedestrians below.<\/p>\n

2nd floor plan for the St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

With the goal being to utilize the new plaza to its full potential, the design shifts the building\u2019s main axis westward to face Scott Street. This helps with the flow of visitors and performers throughout the building, allowing for flexible outdoor spaces that can also be used for performances. The rotation would give visitors a clear view of Toronto\u2019s downtown core and the CN Tower.<\/p>\n

3rd floor plan for the St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

The Main Theatre itself would be accessible through the ground and second levels. The venue\u2019s flexible design allows for various performance styles, thanks to features such as the large stage-house. The main doors, when left open, would allow those in the lobby and plaza to enjoy shows. Meanwhile, the rehearsal rooms are designed to be adaptable and available for private and public events.<\/p>\n

4th floor plan for the St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

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By closing off part of Scott Street for the new STLC, the proposal aims to create an Arts District outside of the centre. The \u201cpark-to-plaza approach\u201d would extend Berczy Park situated along Front Street East to the new Scott Street Plaza. The design calls for a circular open space surrounded by trees and perennials. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Scott Street Plaza for the St Lawrence Centre for the Arts redevelopment entry, designed by Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA for CreateTO and TO Live<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0STLC Next website<\/a>\u00a0provides more images and PDFs expanding on each of the submissions.\u00a0Stay tuned tomorrow for the proposal from\u00a0RDH Architects<\/a>,\u00a0Mecanoo Architecten<\/a>,\u00a0Two Row Architect<\/a>, and\u00a0NAK Design Strategies<\/a>,\u00a0and their theme based on the Indigenous philosophy of\u00a0\u201cA Dish with One Spoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n

maxine bailey<\/strong>, Executive Director of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and co-founder of the Black Artists Network in Dialogue (BAND)<\/p>\n

Meg Graham<\/strong>, Architect and Founder, Superk\u00fcl (Chair)<\/p>\n

Seema Jethalal<\/strong>, Former Regional Director General, Canadian Heritage, and inaugural Managing Director of Daniels Spectrum<\/p>\n

Lori Marchand<\/strong>,\u00a0Managing Director, Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre Ottawa<\/p>\n

Sadie Marshall<\/strong>,\u00a0Artist<\/p>\n

Thomas Payne<\/strong>, Architect and Founder, Thomas Payne Architect<\/p>\n

Marc Ryan<\/strong>, Landscape Architect and Founder, PublicWork<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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”\u00a0in our thread<\/a>\u00a0via our informal poll.<\/p>\n

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UrbanToronto has a research service,\u00a0UrbanToronto Pro<\/a>, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area\u2014from proposal through to completion. We also offer\u00a0Instant\u00a0Reports<\/a>, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,\u00a0New Development Insider<\/a>, that tracks projects from initial application.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n