Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park / Gare maritime Jack Layton et parc Harbour Square
2014
Toronto, Ontario, Canada- Landscaping
- Urban spaces
- Park
Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto sponsored a six-week Innovative Design Competition for the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park to help develop bold new concepts for this important site. The dedication of the Toronto Island Ferry terminal in memory of the late political leader Jack Layton creates a new imperative to remake this important gateway into something of which Toronto, Ontario and Canada can be proud of. It presents an exciting opportunity to develop an inclusive process that reflects the needs and aspirations of millions of ferry users, promotes outstanding architectural and park design, and builds upon the larger revitalization effort of the Central Waterfront and Queens Quay Boulevard.
The ultimate goal of this Innovative Design Competition was to produce a unifying and inspiring master plan for the ferry terminal, surrounding parkland, and adjacent areas that can be built in phases over time.
While a high value was placed on bringing bold, new ideas to this design challenge, understanding marine safety and regulatory restrictions was important to ensure the viability of this master plan. The designs were to propose cost-effective solutions that will have as much impact as possible within the context of a publically funded and maintained facility. The designs were to be conscious of the long-term maintenance implications, of these heavily used facilities.
Given the wide range of challenges - from pragmatic to the poetic - there were two broad goals for the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park Innovative Design Competition seeked to achieve:
Goal #1: Create an inspiring vision for the long-term transformation of the Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park to be articulated in a Master Plan.
Goal #2: Develop a short-term landscape enhancement proposal for Phase 1 implementation.
Five teams, representing a range of different architectural and landscape philosophies, were shortlisted to participate in the Design Competition for the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park, based on the program set out in the competition brief.
(From competition program)
The ultimate goal of this Innovative Design Competition was to produce a unifying and inspiring master plan for the ferry terminal, surrounding parkland, and adjacent areas that can be built in phases over time.
While a high value was placed on bringing bold, new ideas to this design challenge, understanding marine safety and regulatory restrictions was important to ensure the viability of this master plan. The designs were to propose cost-effective solutions that will have as much impact as possible within the context of a publically funded and maintained facility. The designs were to be conscious of the long-term maintenance implications, of these heavily used facilities.
Given the wide range of challenges - from pragmatic to the poetic - there were two broad goals for the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park Innovative Design Competition seeked to achieve:
Goal #1: Create an inspiring vision for the long-term transformation of the Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park to be articulated in a Master Plan.
Goal #2: Develop a short-term landscape enhancement proposal for Phase 1 implementation.
Five teams, representing a range of different architectural and landscape philosophies, were shortlisted to participate in the Design Competition for the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park, based on the program set out in the competition brief.
(From competition program)