LOWER DON LANDS DESIGN COMPETITION
Given the opportunity to create a new naturalized mouth to the river that serves the environmental needs of the river and the lake and forms the centerpiece of a comprehensive vision for the Lower Don Lands, the MVVA Team approached the competition with two initial questions: "Where does the mouth of the Don River want to be and what form does it want to take?
The MVVA Team proposal for the Lower Don Lands originates from these questions and from a very simple observation about the two types of park that one encounters in Toronto: the traditional square derived from the urban grid, and the irregularly formed parks generated from the natural curves of the Don River. Given these two distinct typologies, and the TWRC's objectives in undertaking the naturalization project, it seemed apparent that the new riverfront park and the new mouth of the Don should be taking their cues from river morphology, rather than the existing urban condition as represented by the Keating Channel.
Our proposal consolidates the program of naturalized mouth, floodway, and recreational park into a single and complex central parkland. Naturalizing the mouth of the river in his way has the broadest possible effect on the Lower Don Lands, creating miles of park front property and a sustainable "urban estuary" of great richness and complex mixing on multiple levels: spatial, ecological, functional, economic, and social. In shifting pre-established boundaries, we have opened up new possibilities and new relationships between city, river, and lake. The relocation of the mouth of the river reasserts the presence of the river in its city.
Our vision for the Lower Don Lands unites the TWRC's major urban initiatives - the naturalization project, multiple transportation and infrastructure initiatives, and the development of new residential neighbourhoods - into a single framework for a sustainable area.
(From competitor's text)
The jury selected the MVVA team's design as the winning submission. The jury felt that this design's big, bold moves impressively integrated the natural and wild elements of the river's and the Lower Don Lands with urban placemaking, creating a spectacular and compelling vision for the area.
In taking this approach, the jury felt the MVVA team best addressed the competition's two key objectives of providing a naturalized mouth and iconic identity for the Don River and creating a comprehensive plan for addressing urban design, transportation, naturalization, sustainability and other ecological issues.
In the MVVA scheme, the mouth of the river has been relocated further south and a community has been developed around the mouth of the river. The Keating Channel is left intact and will be filled with lake water rather than river water. The river becomes the main outlet of a riverine system and a wetland-like quality is create in the tertiary spillway which conveys an image of the area that is highly ecological while at the same time, solidly connected to its urban context. The jury felt that the MVVA team's approach to balancing and integrating urban and naturalized environments best developed an innovative vision for the Lower Don Lands.
The MVVA team's solid understanding of the soil conditions including the engineering, economics and the value in shaping the new river mouth combined with its understanding of existing land ownership in the area were both highly innovative and very strategic. The jury recognized the depth of thinking in this submission in terms of implementation and phasing which greatly distinguished this team's strategic approach from the other competitors.
The MVVA design also provided the most effective series of connections across the Keating Channel into the Port Lands, although the jury felt that another major route into the Port Lands in addition to Cherry Street will likely be needed. The jury also liked the strategy to integrate the area's industrial heritage structures into the scheme, in particular the Keating Channel, which could become a significant destination for residents and visitors. The flexibility of the urban plan was recognized as workable and appropriate. The location of taller buildings in the north part of the precinct and the stepping down of building heights to the south was appreciated. The introduction of the courtyard and atrium typologies was recognized.
JURY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION
1. The clarity of the urban form and street pattern needs to be worked out, respecting the geometry, scale and character of the industrial heritage elements of the Port Lands. The placement and heights of new buildings and development in relationship to the industrial heritage structures needs more study.
2. The pastoral landscape of the river mouth has to have a more contemporary feel. Jurors are looking for a design expression that is fresh recognizing that nature is being engineered as a construct.
3. The Keating Channel should not become the primary outfall for the Don River, but rather the relocated river would be the primary ecological/hydrological move. The Keating Channel should have cleaner lake water in order to enhance its potential as an urban place.
4. The regional recreational sports fields should be located closer to the dunes in the evolving master plan for Lake Ontario Park, where bus access and parking is available without impacting the local community. One sports field might be kept in the plan for use by the community.
5. Explore making the connection from the Don Roadway up to Broadview.
6. Explore the inclusion of community gardens in the program.
7. Increase naturalization along the Don Greenway which can be seen as a spillway with more wetlands.
8. Explore a Parliament Street connection for pedestrians and bicyclists.
9. The design of the bridges should be considered further in terms of specific language and character relative to the existing bridges in the Port Lands and the timber bridges proposed by the West 8 team for the Central waterfront.
10. The heritage elements and the industrial history of the area need to be considered further through imaginative transformations, adaptive reuse, and possibly through commemorative and ducational narratives.
11. The introduction of a cultural/public structure on the edge of the river looking back to the city should be explored as a destination.
12. Develop a contingency plan if the Gardiner Expressway were to come down.
13. Consider greater intensification in the 480 Lake Shore precinct in relationship to the high costs of soils remediation, and the fact that the shadows of tall building in this location would fall on the rail lands.
14. Ensure that an Integrated Design Team including the lead consultants, Behnisch Architects, Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg, and Transsolar are involved with the design and detailed development of the first phase of community building including prototypical housing courtyard development and the first phase of the public streets and public realm of the precinct. It is absolutely critical to develop an approach to ensure design excellence, sustainability, and material quality for the first new building, streetscapes and landscapes in the precinct around the mouth of the new Lower Don.
15. The southwest corner of the Keating Channel has been proposed to be demolished and replaced the new “naturalized” river mouth. Can the design team explore maintaining this corner as an element that is important to the character and history of the industrial Port Lands while still creating a new image and configuration of the river mouth? It is a question of image, performance and balance.
16. Can Commissioners Street be maintained on its present alignment while still achieving the objectives of the plan?
(From jury report)
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