Design Teams Announced for Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park Design Competition

Five renowned design teams have been shortlisted to participate in an Innovative Design Competition that will set the stage for the revitalization of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park. An impressive number of high calibre design team submissions were received during the pre-qualification phase of the competition which launched, in partnership with the City of Toronto, last November.

In total, thirty-three design teams from twelve countries submitted proposals outlining their qualifications. The proposals were reviewed by a multidisciplinary team that included both Waterfront Toronto and City of Toronto staff and the selection process was overseen by an independent fairness advisor. The five shortlisted teams are:

• Clement Blanchet Architecture (Paris) + Batlle I Roig (Barcelona) + RVTR (Toronto and Ann Arbor) +Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. (Toronto)
• Diller Scofidio + Renfro (New York City), architectsAlliance (Toronto)
• KPMB Architects (Toronto), West 8 (Rotterdam), Greenberg Consultants (Toronto)
• Quadrangle Architects (Toronto), aLLDesign (London), Janet Rosenberg & Studio (Toronto)
• Stoss Landscape Urbanism (Boston), nARCHITECTS (New York City), ZAS Architects (Toronto)

“The level of interest from design teams around the world is a testament to the importance of this site and international awareness of the transformation underway on Toronto’s waterfront,” says John Campbell, President and CEO, Waterfront Toronto. “Given the incredible roster of shortlisted teams, we expect that the calibre of the designs will be very high and we are looking forward to seeing how the teams propose to connect this orphaned site with the rest of the city.”

As a gateway to the Toronto Islands, the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park is a unique waterfront site with historical significance. It occupies prime waterfront space at the end of two of Toronto’s most important streets – Bay Street and Yonge Street.

“With this competition, we have an exciting opportunity to develop an inclusive vision for the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal that promotes outstanding park and building design and reflects the needs and aspirations of the park and ferry users," says Deputy Mayor Pam McConnell, City Councillor, Ward 28. "This will create a beautiful gateway to the Islands for residents and visitors and play an important role in the larger revitalization of the waterfront.”

The shortlisted teams will take part in an intensive 6-week design exercise followed by a public exhibition for a distinguished independent jury of design professionals and members of the general public.

This major public exhibition, planned for mid-March 2015, will give Torontonians an opportunity to review the design approaches and provide feedback to the competition jury.In addition to the public exhibition, aStakeholder Advisory Committee comprised of local residents, businesses and neighbourhood groups is meetingat key points during the competition process to provide advice and feedback to the project team, the design teams and the jury.

Once a recommended approach is selected by the competition jury, the design team will move forward with a Master Plan for the area. The Master Plan will include a phasing strategy to prioritize work. Pursuant to Toronto City Council approval, the Capital Budget includes funding for an initial phase of work. Going forward, the Master Plan will be used to guide additional budget requests and to ensure that revitalization efforts move forward in a coordinated manner.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization. For more information, please visit our website.

News Release
Process Backgrounder
Fact Sheet
Site Overview
Image Gallery - Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park
Video - Design Competitions: Creative City Building

For more information, visit our project page.

Samantha Gileno
Waterfront Toronto
Manager, Project Communications
Telephone: 416-214-1344 ext. 264
Cell: 416-271-1316
E-mail: sgileno@waterfrontoronto.ca