Ferry terminal competition could be the berth of a new Toronto
No matter who redesigns the terminal and park, the new docks will have a higher civic profile than ever before.

thestar.com
March 17, 2015
By Christopher Hume

Who would have thought the remaking of the Jack Layton Ferry terminal would have become a matter of international interest?

But when the five finalists in the competition to redesign the nondescript facility and Harbour Square beside it were announced Monday, architects and landscape architects from as far away as London, Paris and Rotterdam were included - along with some of the best local practitioners.

What all these short-listed submissions share is a clear understanding that this project goes beyond boarding a boat. The docks are part of a larger waterfront revitalization that has been underway for more than a decade.

Suddenly, the possibilities seem endless. That’s what’s exciting. That’s why the competition attracted some of the best designers in the world. This isn’t just a ferry terminal or a chance to make a statement; it’s an occasion to change how a city sees itself.

For Torontonians, the proposals stand in stark contrast not just to the old structure, but our expectations of the city. Is a ferry dock a strictly utilitarian concern that serves its purpose and nothing more? Or could it be a destination in its own right, a celebration of a waterfront city?

Until now, Toronto has opted for the former. Cheap but rarely cheerful, we have been content to make do with the merely useful, as if that were all that counts. These five schemes re-imagine Hogtown as a grown-up city that takes maximum advantage of an opportunity such as this.

After the Rob Ford debacle, that’s a hard line to swallow. Like the former mayor, many Torontonians think of the city as someone else’s problem, certainly not theirs. The sort of advanced urbanity the submissions assume has appeared only recently in Toronto, and with much hand-wringing.

When Mayor John Tory appointed Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong to the board of Waterfront Toronto, he showed himself to be another in a long line of politicians suspicious of anything that isn’t banal. The argument is timid, tired and tedious and always the same: We can’t afford better. What’s wrong with concrete, chain link fencing, asphalt and railroad ties, anyway?

These plans will frighten them. None more so than the spectacular entry from aLL Design (Will Alsop, London) and Quadrangle Architects and Janet Rosenberg (Toronto). They envision a bright red pavilion overlooking Lake Ontario and an elevated footbridge bisecting the site east to west. Pools, terraces, footpaths, a boardwalk and series of large sculptural objects would transform the site into a display of lakeside exuberance never seen in this city.

Diller Scofidio+Renfro (New York), architectsAlliance (Toronto) and Hood Design (California) have come up with an extraordinary wooden canopy that shelters the dock and provides an elegant focal point for a bigger scheme that includes a pond/skating, an all-weather kids’ play area, a lookout and even a beach.

Stoss Landscape Urbanism (Boston), nARCHITECTS (New York) and ZAS Architects (Toronto) have devised a simple but elegant set of solutions highlighted by the planting of hundreds of trees. Called Cloud Gate, its elements include an “ice plaza,” a “swim basin” and a soaring light-filled terminal with views across the lake.

West 8 (Rotterdam) with KPMB Architects and Greenberg Consultants (both Toronto) would put a massive undulating green roof over the terminal. All three members of this team have extensive waterfront experience and know what’s possible and what’s expected. Their submission is no less poetic for being coherent and urbane.

Clement Blanchet Architecture (Paris), RVTR (Toronto) and Batlle i Roig (Barcelona) suggest a long, low, horizontal terminal clad in glass. The park comprises two large ponds, trees and several distinct gardens.

Any of these would be a welcome addition to the waterfront. Given that 1.3 million visitors move through the ferry terminal annually, a remake could have a hugely positive impact.

The submissions will be on display in the Rotunda at Toronto City Hall until Friday at 5 p.m. Once you’ve had a look, send your thoughts on these brave new proposals to waterfrontoronto.ca. The deadline is Saturday at noon.