THA
THE POWER HOUSE
COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK
TORONTO, ONTARIO
1
2
1
View of Power House and Colonel Samuel
Smith Park with downtown Toronto in the
background
2
Detail of old steam plant machinery
3
View of historic Power House, landscaped
terraces and skating loop
3
The Power House is a masonry steam plant and stack built in 1937 to
service the nearby Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital. It is the only built structure in Colonel Samuel Smith Park, a secluded natural sanctuary of wooded
areas, meadows, long grasses and trails near the mouth of the Humber
River along Toronto’s western lakefront. The development of the Power
House into a new outdoor recreational facility coincides with the revitalization of the surrounding park, the Lakeshore Yacht Club and Marina, and the
Ontario Waterfront Trail that runs adjacent to the site.
The THA design for the park locates a skating rink and winter/summer
facilities adjacent to and within the Power House. The scheme reinforces
the existing structure as a focal point or point of orientation for the large
park, without disturbing the extensive network of natural areas and habitats.
To achieve this, THA did extensive site analysis, wind and landscape
studies, investigations of the existing condition of the building and research
into current standards for park and skating rink design.
The design for the outdoor spaces called for simple tectonic elements,
including concrete ramps and landscape steps, and cantilevered glulam
canopies on masonry piers. These human scale constructions infuse and
radiate from the power plant and moderate its relationship to the natural
landscape, while creating a coherent western entry point and informal gathering area. To the south, an outdoor looped skating rink acts as a meandering path among mature trees; affording views of Lake Ontario.
Within the existing building, a principal public hall with high ceilings, tall
arched windows and excellent natural light will be restored and enhanced
to overlook the outdoor terraces and skating rink. Washrooms and other
amenities are also provided. The majority of work on the historic building
conversion and site services is now complete. The remaining construction
of this public recreation facility will be phased over several years.
Prime Consultant
Taylor|Hazell Architects Ltd.
Consultants
Crossey Engineering Ltd.
C. E. Welsh Consulting Inc.
Hough Woodland Naylor Dance
Leinster Ltd.
Parkin Architects Ltd.
Client
City of Toronto
Value
$ 3.5 million
Construction Date
1998-2001