Rees Street Free Forest
Banging on trees with sticks. Digging for earthworms. Gathering by the fire. Munching lotus root skewers in the night market. Sipping coffee while watching your kids play. The Rees Street Free Forest - its concentrated landforms and generous, sunny, central lawn - provides ecological and spatial structure that fosters a full and unscripted experience of nature in the city for all ages. Inspired by the biology, thick section, and tactile richness of the forest itself, and the multicultural diversity of Toronto, its physical design unlocks a serendipitous array of arts, culture, and nature experiences on the waterfront. A strong geologic grain shapes four zones in the Free Forest and signals a future for Toronto that is inclusive, fun, and ecologically productive. Immersive Micro-Ravines draw pedestrians across the Gardiner Expressway, frame views of the Lake, and buffer traffic noise. A generous, central civic Clearing encourages casual lounging and lawn sunbathing. Adjacent to the park pavilion, a Kinder-Forest invites free-form wilder play with sticks, rocks, leaves and raw materials of the forest. A Hearth anchors the site at its southeast corner, forming a seasonal template for public artists visible from the Quay. In summer months, a misty "cloud" activates and cools this prominent civic corner. The Free Forest grows spatial enclosure and complexity over time, while preserving large open areas that can change daily and seasonally alongside populations that age and evolve. It propagates a place to breathe deeply, connect with each other, play, and feel free.
(Web site excerpt)
The Jury appreciated the appealing collection of landscape types and local ecologies presented in the Rees Street Free Forest proposal. The softness of the ideas/experiences was appealing and the design of the Market Plaza in this scheme was particularly good. The emphasis on planting and growing a healthy tree canopy was appreciated, placing an appropriate investment in the living landscape. The Jury felt that the open lawn offered the right scale and location for such a public open space.
Nevertheless, it was felt that the proposal attempted to include too many elements into a site with constraining proportions. It was felt that the scheme could have been simplified and that opportunities for diagonal movement across the space were lacking.
The Jury was not fully persuaded by the rustic material palette. Although the forest theme and materiality were appealing, the Jury wished for a better articulation and refinement of some of the features, particularly the play fence. The Jury was concerned about the capacity of the scheme to offer the extraordinary play opportunities required on the waterfront.
(From jury report)
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