Jarvis Slip Design Competition

January 24, 2008 - So yeah, I didn't get a job at Metrolinx, but that doesn't mean I'm bitter =) I have such high hopes for them and I know for sure my friends there will do a great job in moving forward with our transit vision.

Another agency that gets a lot of public attention these days is Waterfront Toronto, which is responsible for our waterfront redevelopment. Over the years, the agency has planned a number of high profile projects, including the new West Don Lands neighbourhood and the central waterfront redevelopment. Just last week, they announced the finalists for the Jarvis Slip, a new public space that will anchor the new East Bayfront neighbourhood. The most interesting aspect of this space is that it's right beside the Redpath Sugar Factory. How will the new plaza/park embrace this industrial giant?

1) Janet Rosenberg + Associates - WeatherFront

"Inspired by the multifaceted characteristics of Canadian climate, Weatherfront is a highly visible and animated gateway to the East Bayfront Community. Our design is about embracing weather in all its forms and interacting with it on many different levels. Weatherfront offers a viewpoint for spectacular natural processes along the waterfront throughout the year. People can watch the lake and the sky, nature’s vast stage, and see how weather evolves and changes throughout the seasons. "

2) Claude Cormier Architects - Sugar Beach

"Sugar Beach is the sequel to a new wave of urban beaches, this time designed with a sweet twist. Tinted by Redpath sugar spray carried on westerly breezes, dozens of candy-colored umbrellas are scattered across a sandy wedge of beach along Jarvis Slip. Integrating the future Waterfront Promenade and a plaza for programmed and unprogrammed events, the design playfully adopts some of the most enduring elements from Toronto’s emerging landscape identity – beaches, bedrock, trees and water, as well as the urban horizon and a trace mood of the city’s industrial past."

3) West 8 + DTAH - Robotic Arms

"The multi-functional performance plaza is a stage where one can play and express oneself. It is furnished with a patterned mosaic floor and memorable objects of attention – two sculptural timber lighting masts that engage in an interactive hydraulic ballet of movement to animate the space.

In contrast, the triangulated softscapes provide an area for more intimate seclusion with a place for nature in the square that reflects the seasons. Here, we introduce a collection of native trees with distinct shapes and character that create a much-needed micro climate on an exposed waterfront site as well as a compelling foreground which frames views to the lake."

My pick is the West 8 + DTAH proposal, mainly because the two robotic arms look very cool. The sculpture gives the plaza a focal point, and not to mention, an attraction where people from across town will come and check out. The designers claim that the sculptures are more representative of sugar canes (because of the history of the area), then legs of a giant bug - but nonetheless, it will for sure attract attention (I would love to see the legs be "impotent").

The other two designs aren't bad per se. Sugar Beach is way too HTO and it has that been there, done that feeling. I also think it's a mismatch to the surrounding area. I'm not sure how beachy it would feel with the giant cargo ship parked beside it. Weatherfront is a cool concept, but that huge semi-transparent wall doesn't feel right to me. The egg-shaped chairs are also kinda weird looking, and who would be sitting there in winter anyway?

For a public space to be successful, it must be well used. With a built-in attraction like the robotic arms, I think the West 8 + DTAH plan can attract the people it needs to make the Jarvis Slip a vibrant place. It would be interesting to see which plan Waterfront Toronto will ultimately go with.

Our waterfront has definitely come a long way. I'm actually quite excited about it (as you can tell, I'm big into planning for public spaces). Too bad I couldn't make it to the project presentations, but you can check out other reviews here.