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From the Globe:
Sharp Centre on shortlist for design award
Elevated addition to the Ontario College of Art and Design called 'very outgoing'
By JANE GADD
Monday, May 16, 2005 Page A8
Whether they see it as a Kleenex box on stilts or an inspirational example of exuberant design that elevates the whole neighbourhood, no one can deny that the flying rectangle addition to the Ontario College of Art and Design raises the bar of ambition for city building projects.
"They were able to insert a new building and retain the views of the park for the neighbours and keep a two-storey Victorian house on the corner," architect Brigitte Shim said of the Sharp Centre for Design, a white-and-black box perched on brightly coloured stilts on McCaul Street south of Dundas Street.
"It's very outgoing. It uses elements we sometimes shy away from in Toronto."
The Sharp Centre is one of six finalists in the "building in context" category of the Toronto Architecture and Urban Design Awards to be handed out tonight at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Ms. Shim is one of the three award panelists, who rode around in a minivan with city staff to look at nominated buildings the way the public sees them.
"The important thing in this was how a building contributes to the public realm," Ms. Shim said. "We didn't go inside. It's not about how great the buildings are in themselves but how they create a public presence."
In the case of the Sharp Centre, the playful aspect of the teetering structure is striking - but there were extremely pragmatic reasons behind it, along with extensive community input.
Hoisting the addition 26 metres above street level meant that pedestrian access to Grange Park from McCaul would be preserved and residents of the nine-storey Village by the Grange condominiums would not lose their view.
As city planners try to encourage architects and developers to merge future and past in a positive way, the uniqueness of the OCAD building "talks to the fact we're not quite there yet," Ms. Shim said.
Another context that needs more attention is urban highways, the panelists felt, and that's how the seemingly unlikely candidate of a car dealership also ended up on the shortlist.
The BMW dealership at the confluence of the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway "creates a memorable image for the public to enjoy as they drive down the Don Valley," the entry submission said.
A six-storey former soap factory has been gutted, reinforced and glazed, transforming it into a multi-level showroom that resembles a stacked toy box of cars.
"We're not just a cute little Victorian city," Ms. Shim said. "We have highways. We need to think of buildings that address that scale."
The architects worked closely with Don Valley conservation groups, and included environmental protection features in the landscaping around the building - trees and indigenous plants to filter storm water entering the river and provide a habitat for migrating birds.
Robert Freedman, Toronto's director of urban design, says the city is making "more of a big deal" of its biennial design awards this year, holding a gala celebration at the AGO, which itself is in the midst of a transformation by renowned architect Frank Gehry.
"Five to 10 years ago people wouldn't have thought it possible to have such a number of public buildings, like the [Royal Ontario Museum] and the AGO in big ambitious projects, yet here we are," Mr. Freedman said. "There's a snowball effect."
The city's awards differ from other architectural awards because they look at the public nature of urban design rather than at buildings in isolation, he said. More than 120 projects were nominated in six categories - building in context, elements, visions and master plans, small open spaces, neighbourhood designs and student work. The winners are to be announced by Mayor David Miller tonight .
GB
Sharp Centre on shortlist for design award
Elevated addition to the Ontario College of Art and Design called 'very outgoing'
By JANE GADD
Monday, May 16, 2005 Page A8
Whether they see it as a Kleenex box on stilts or an inspirational example of exuberant design that elevates the whole neighbourhood, no one can deny that the flying rectangle addition to the Ontario College of Art and Design raises the bar of ambition for city building projects.
"They were able to insert a new building and retain the views of the park for the neighbours and keep a two-storey Victorian house on the corner," architect Brigitte Shim said of the Sharp Centre for Design, a white-and-black box perched on brightly coloured stilts on McCaul Street south of Dundas Street.
"It's very outgoing. It uses elements we sometimes shy away from in Toronto."
The Sharp Centre is one of six finalists in the "building in context" category of the Toronto Architecture and Urban Design Awards to be handed out tonight at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Ms. Shim is one of the three award panelists, who rode around in a minivan with city staff to look at nominated buildings the way the public sees them.
"The important thing in this was how a building contributes to the public realm," Ms. Shim said. "We didn't go inside. It's not about how great the buildings are in themselves but how they create a public presence."
In the case of the Sharp Centre, the playful aspect of the teetering structure is striking - but there were extremely pragmatic reasons behind it, along with extensive community input.
Hoisting the addition 26 metres above street level meant that pedestrian access to Grange Park from McCaul would be preserved and residents of the nine-storey Village by the Grange condominiums would not lose their view.
As city planners try to encourage architects and developers to merge future and past in a positive way, the uniqueness of the OCAD building "talks to the fact we're not quite there yet," Ms. Shim said.
Another context that needs more attention is urban highways, the panelists felt, and that's how the seemingly unlikely candidate of a car dealership also ended up on the shortlist.
The BMW dealership at the confluence of the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway "creates a memorable image for the public to enjoy as they drive down the Don Valley," the entry submission said.
A six-storey former soap factory has been gutted, reinforced and glazed, transforming it into a multi-level showroom that resembles a stacked toy box of cars.
"We're not just a cute little Victorian city," Ms. Shim said. "We have highways. We need to think of buildings that address that scale."
The architects worked closely with Don Valley conservation groups, and included environmental protection features in the landscaping around the building - trees and indigenous plants to filter storm water entering the river and provide a habitat for migrating birds.
Robert Freedman, Toronto's director of urban design, says the city is making "more of a big deal" of its biennial design awards this year, holding a gala celebration at the AGO, which itself is in the midst of a transformation by renowned architect Frank Gehry.
"Five to 10 years ago people wouldn't have thought it possible to have such a number of public buildings, like the [Royal Ontario Museum] and the AGO in big ambitious projects, yet here we are," Mr. Freedman said. "There's a snowball effect."
The city's awards differ from other architectural awards because they look at the public nature of urban design rather than at buildings in isolation, he said. More than 120 projects were nominated in six categories - building in context, elements, visions and master plans, small open spaces, neighbourhood designs and student work. The winners are to be announced by Mayor David Miller tonight .
GB