Waterfront Toronto Announces Winner of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park Innovative Design Competition

artist rendering of a redesigned ferry terminal and waterfront park at dusk

April 10, 2015, Toronto, ON— Waterfront Toronto, in partnership with the City of Toronto today announced that KPMB Architects + West 8 + Greenberg Consultants is the winning team of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park Innovative Design Competition. The goal of the competition was to create an inspiring vision for the long-term transformation of the area. The winning design is subject to approval by Waterfront Toronto’s Board and the City of Toronto.

The winning design from KPMB Architects + West 8 + Greenberg Consultants will be used to create a unifying and inspiring Master Plan for the revitalization of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park that can be phased in over time, as funding and budget become available. The vision for the area will result in a welcoming gateway to the Toronto Islands – one of the City’s most unique and cherished parks – with amenities and infrastructure to support the approximately 1.3 million visitors who use the ferry each year.

KPMB Architects + West 8 + Greenberg Consultants’ proposal successfully created a signature waterfront park and iconic ferry terminal that complements proximity to the water’s edge while offering spectacular views of the lake. The jury agreed that the winning proposal’s heavily planted and lush green space set it apart from the other designs and would help support the large number of visitors during peak times.

The winning team’s multi-functional, accessible design was well thought out for both winter and summer uses and retains The Jack Layton Memorial at the prominent central crossroads of the Park. The jury was led by Donald Schmitt, Diamond Schmitt Architects and was comprised of a distinguished group of design professionals and civic leaders, including Claude Cormier, Claude Cormier + Associés; Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Dialog; Pina Petricone, Giannone Petricone Associates; and Sevaun Palvetzian, CivicAction.

The competition was launched in November 2014 to develop bold new concepts for one of the waterfront’s most important waterfront destinations. An impressive number of high-calibre design teams made submissions in pre-qualification phase of the competition. In total, 33 design teams from 12 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.

Five teams were shortlisted in January 2015 to participate in the design competition and undertook an intensive eight-week design exercise to develop their proposals for the ferry terminal, park and surrounding areas. Communication and engagement with the public was an integral part of the competition. A Stakeholder Advisory Committee comprised of local residents, businesses and neighbourhood groups met at key points during the competition process and provided advice and feedback to the project team, the design teams and the competition jury.

In March 2015 a five-day public exhibition was held at Toronto City Hall and online, giving Torontonians an opportunity to review the design approaches and provide feedback to the competition jury. Following the public feedback period, all the public comments received were summarized in a report that was delivered to the competition jury for consideration, alongside reports from the competition's Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee.