[RE]CONNECT
Throughout the rich history of Toronto, there has existed a strong connection to the water. However, with a shift in population to suburban areas and increased industrial blight along the waterfront, the city has turned its back on the lake. Toronto has lost some of its link to the waterfront, which is charged with possibilities for activities that could enrich urban life.
Our response addresses this need for a reconnection, through a waterfront development that functions both as an awards pavilion during the 2015 Pan American Games, and a legacy of natural open space for the children of Toronto to enjoy after the games.
The scheme aims to create continuity through a reconnection to the waterfront by constructing a clear threshold between Toronto's financial district, distillery district, future Queen's Quay mixed use development, and future development planned for the industrial zone to the southeast of the site. The building site acts as a node between these major zones and will become a natural gathering space if developed. Furthermore, our proposal aligns itself with this view by serving as a social attraction to the waterfront with varied functions including an outdoor cinema projected on the side of the historic Victory Soya Mills silo, several pools and interactive fountains, multi-use park areas, children's play areas a small beach, and plaza spaces that can hold community events such as farmer's markets, food fairs, and outdoor exhibitions.
Creating a natural landscape that can support large volumes of people presents the problem of erosion and compaction of soil. To address this problem, a vinyl geo-grid is installed below the surface that can absorb this weight without compacting the soil. This geo-grid is made from woven PVA yarn with a PVC coating. This is an ideal application because it does not off-gas or biodegrade. Runoff water naturally filters through the soil and releases uncontaminated water into Lake Ontario. Toronto could use this system as a showcase for future waterfront development, as a part of its ongoing campaign to curb runoff pollution.
A translucent vinyl panel cladding system is employed for the pavilion's canopy. These panels provide shade, rain and wind protection with minimal interruption of the lake and sky views. Vinyl is an ideal material for the canopy due to its clean translucent aesthetics and UV resistance.
By designing with vinyl in mind, we learned about its wide-ranging capacities. In addition to its traditional building applications, vinyl has many new and innovative sustainable uses that might put outdated stigmas to rest.
(From competitor's text)
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