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billy corgan19982
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From building.ca
Fort Erie, Ont. – NORR Architects, based in Toronto, has been selected to design the improved Canadian Plaza at the Peace Bridge, in Fort Erie, Ont. By fall 2005, three new stone, wood and glass buildings and a new landscaping theme will greet visitors at Canada’s second-busiest border crossing.
“The Peace Bridge Authority was very clear: it was looking for a centrepiece, buildings that talk about Canadian values and Canadian ideals,†says NORR’s principal-in-charge Silvio Baldaserra. While the complex will perform a utilitarian function, it is a gateway to the country.
Limestone will be used for both the structures and the landscaping to connect the plaza with the spectacular Niagara Escarpment. The stone also compliments the historic buildings in the area. The use of wood and curvilinear shapes reflect Fort Erie’s history of native settlements.
The two-storey customs and immigration building, at the centre of the complex, is where car and bus traffic is processed. It’s composed of two separate, interwoven parts, symbolic of the relationship between Canada and the U.S. A central skylight runs the full length of the roof, and two atria divide the public areas from the private.
“It’s an asymmetrical plan,†Baldaserra says. The eastern end, which faces the bridge, and the entire second floor east of the check-in booths are glazed. (The view isn’t just a nice touch for the employees; it’s also for passive surveillance.) But the highlight of the building is its unique roof.
The vaulted roof, extending out over the traffic lanes, has two parts — metal on the outside with woven wood underneath. “The customs and immigration building’s roof is a wood glulam system. It’s very unique. In fact, we’re just starting on that challenge right now,†Baldaserra jokes.
A two-storey, sliver-like building between two landscaping walls houses the two-storey refugee processing centre. The pedestrian bridge, the parking lot and the second floors of the refugee and immigration centre are all set at the same elevation for barrier-free circulation.
Lastly, there’s the administration building, which also houses a museum within a sculptural metal, glass and wood lobby. “Fort Erie has one of one of the largest archeological sites in northeastern North America,†Baldaserra explains. Since the town of Fort Erie has 10,000 artifacts in need of an exhibition space, an agreement was reached that the new museum would be worked into the Peace Bridge Authority’s new plaza design.
Fort Erie, Ont. – NORR Architects, based in Toronto, has been selected to design the improved Canadian Plaza at the Peace Bridge, in Fort Erie, Ont. By fall 2005, three new stone, wood and glass buildings and a new landscaping theme will greet visitors at Canada’s second-busiest border crossing.
“The Peace Bridge Authority was very clear: it was looking for a centrepiece, buildings that talk about Canadian values and Canadian ideals,†says NORR’s principal-in-charge Silvio Baldaserra. While the complex will perform a utilitarian function, it is a gateway to the country.
Limestone will be used for both the structures and the landscaping to connect the plaza with the spectacular Niagara Escarpment. The stone also compliments the historic buildings in the area. The use of wood and curvilinear shapes reflect Fort Erie’s history of native settlements.
The two-storey customs and immigration building, at the centre of the complex, is where car and bus traffic is processed. It’s composed of two separate, interwoven parts, symbolic of the relationship between Canada and the U.S. A central skylight runs the full length of the roof, and two atria divide the public areas from the private.
“It’s an asymmetrical plan,†Baldaserra says. The eastern end, which faces the bridge, and the entire second floor east of the check-in booths are glazed. (The view isn’t just a nice touch for the employees; it’s also for passive surveillance.) But the highlight of the building is its unique roof.
The vaulted roof, extending out over the traffic lanes, has two parts — metal on the outside with woven wood underneath. “The customs and immigration building’s roof is a wood glulam system. It’s very unique. In fact, we’re just starting on that challenge right now,†Baldaserra jokes.
A two-storey, sliver-like building between two landscaping walls houses the two-storey refugee processing centre. The pedestrian bridge, the parking lot and the second floors of the refugee and immigration centre are all set at the same elevation for barrier-free circulation.
Lastly, there’s the administration building, which also houses a museum within a sculptural metal, glass and wood lobby. “Fort Erie has one of one of the largest archeological sites in northeastern North America,†Baldaserra explains. Since the town of Fort Erie has 10,000 artifacts in need of an exhibition space, an agreement was reached that the new museum would be worked into the Peace Bridge Authority’s new plaza design.