Variable Plaza

(Second place entry - reStore Design Competition - Ryerson University) -- The aim of the competition was to create a successful public space that makes use of the site's many opportunities. The site is defined by a highway on-ramp in an area with a high population density but with little sense of community. Our big design move was to focus on strengthening Toronto's waterfront corridor instead of attempting to bridge the Gardiner Expressway (an obtrusive elevated highway disconnecting most of Toronto from the waterfront). By way of considering the relationship between publics space and its neighboring buildings, we presented a dynamic and pedestrian-oriented plaza.