1999
Christie Pearson with Cecilia Chen, Howard Wong and David Oleson at OWA, in collaboration with artists Millie Chen, Warren Quigley and Michael Hayden.
Our entry to transform the heart of Toronto’s downtown at Yonge and Dundas streets came in second place. The scheme opens up access points and connections through the site across multiple directions. Pedestrian cross-walks led to a playful landscape of sculptural seating forms. Aerial neon lights tied into the existing network of streetcar lines that mark the sky, transforming them from necessity to feature that celebrates the history of Yonge street’s illuminated signs. The ground terrain took a cue from Viljo Revell’s City Hall plaza, but with an expanded and electronically-enriched grid with a variety of paver types. At night, glass and illuminated pavers and a system of grilles enhance this surreal cityscape and draw visual connections to the underground parking. A performance stage and subway entrance become additional light beacons, while advertising on the surrounding buildings are transformed into surfaces for projection, art, and interactive media.
Published: Canadian Architect
