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Giving in to Pier Pressure
After weeks of debate, the winner of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization competition was finally revealed tonight. The proposal by Dutch/Canadian amalgam of West 8 (headed by Adriaan Geuze) has won the bid by a unanimous decision.
Their proposal definitely stood out among the five finalists as ambitious, but altogether do-able. At the heart of the scheme was a greenification of the waterfront. The plans include the planting of thousands of trees along and below Queen Quay. Further, the boulevard will be whittled down to two lanes, giving more pedestrian space (and more tree-space,) and a boardwalk along the water’s edge. In addition to these infrastructural changes, West 8 proposed a rethinking of the Gardiner, and an eventual dismantling of the Expressway. Finally, Yonge Street will be capped by a ferry terminal, while the CN Tower’s footprint will lead into a promenade to the water.
What really gets Torontoist is the lilly pools in the shape of maple leaves… How will that play out for those of us not looking down from the CN tower? More importantly, how will these floating ponds along with the rest of the scheme fare during the eight months of winter winds and chills? (note: apparently the committee was also unenamoured by the ridiculous maple leaf pier ponds. RS)
Either way, Torontoist is quite excited for these possible changes to the waterfront. But at a (current) pricetag of $20 million, many are still skeptical. It does seem, however, that the Revitalization Corporation is ready and eager to break ground soon.
To quench your thirst for more, check out all the slips, weaves and floats of the winning proposal (in pdf.)
[image: West 8 proposal model – Robonto’s private stash]