Toronto is in the middle of a design competition for the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. Originally built in 1972 for ferry transportation to Toronto Islands. The Toronto Islands, 332 ha, are an archipelago of 15 islands in Lake Ontario about 1.6 km south of downtown. The only community in Canada that is completely car-free. Five collaborative design teams including a few international firms, have completed their concepts with full renderings.
If you are wanting to share your comments, Vote for your favourite. (The deadline for submitting comments is Saturday, March 21, 2015).
Diller Scofidio+Renfro (New York City) + architectsAlliance (Toronto) + Hood Design (Emeryville, CA)
One of the favourites here at Is this Menswear? The design firm responsible for NYC's Highline: a linear park built in Manhattan on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad spur called the West Side Line. The feeling you are under a canopy, cool, the winter wind coming off Lake Ontario, freezing.
Stoss Landscape Urbanism + nARCHITECTS + ZAS Architects
We are scratching our head around this Cloud concept. The design focuses too much on the terminal and not enough on the space surrounding. Hopefully this Cloud dissipates quickly.
Clement Blanchet Architecture (Paris) + Batlle i Roig (Barcelona) + RVTR (Toronto and Ann Arbor) + Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. (Toronto)
This is the winner in my eyes. The team obviously took in account Jack Layton's leadership character in the overall design. The deciduous forest makes me miss home and the botanical garden can only be a good thing for pedestrians seeking refuge during the winter. Toronto needs this space.
KPMB Architects (Toronto), West 8 (Rotterdam), Greenberg Consultants (Toronto)
If you are into caves and unsafe areas, perhaps this is your favourite. Don't get me wrong, I love diagrid structures, but I think Toronto will satisfy its craving with Foster's new "One" at Yonge and Bloor.
Quadrangle Architects (Toronto), aLLDesign (London), Janet Rosenberg & Studio (Toronto)
Pop! Canada needs a project like this, but I am not sure it suits the site. I dream to see an urban landscape like this soon. Yes, I dream in colour.