Agglomeration Effect Queen Street West Redesign
With a strong intact historic building fabric, Toronto’s Queen Street West has always served as a vibrant retail and entertainment corridor, but its civic realm is mostly unchanged since the 1950s. The surrounding context has changed drastically in recent years through new master plans, new constructions, new commercial enterprises, changing life-styles, and shifting modes of travel. This thesis posits how a new design for Queen Street West, which overlays many programs and functions, can let a historical street adapt to its changing context. Based on the analysis of the existing street corridor, the structure of the site is reorganized into three parts: a fashion shopping zone, an entertainment zone, and a downtown core gateway. The zones adopt different but corresponding design strategies. As a result, a redesigned Queen Street West can keep up with its shifting context, thereby generating an agglomeration effect.
A Historical Site
1900s
1920s
1930s
1950s
1970s
1980s
Regional Analysis
Design Generation Process Central Node John & Queen St W Market Place Node Fashion Shopping Zone Comfortable walking and sitting space, fashion shopping, market place... ...
University Avenue Boulevard
St Patrick Market - Media Square Axis Downtown Core Gateway Zone
Connect to the Downtown Core on the east visually and psycholigically
Entertainment Zone
Outdoor dinning, outdoor performance, music, bars, festival events... ...
Media Square Node John Street Revitalization Project
OCAD University Art Garlley of Ontario
Designed Structure
CHINATOWN
Grange Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park Fashion District Entertainment District
Saint Patrick’s Square
Adjacent Districts
Eaton Centre
Fashion Stores are majority
Old City Hall
Bovine Sex Club
TIFF Bell Lightbox
Osgoode Hall
FASHION DISTRICT Royal Alexandra Theatre
David Pecaut Square
Restaurants and bars are majority
Nathan Phillips Square
Scotiabank Theatre
Programs
Roy Thomson Hall
Grange Park Saint Patrick’s Square University Avenue Boulevard Intersection Saint Patrick’s Square
ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT Context Structure Spatial Axis
Roundhouse Park
Master Plan 1:400 Legend
3. Permanent Parking with Paving
13. Building Expansion
4. Outdoor Dinning
14. Rest Area
5. Market Place
15. Building Expansion with Indoor Access
6. Shelter Structure
16. Media Plaza (Festivals & Events)
7. Central Node Paving
17. Bike Lane to Simcoe St
8. Fountain
18. Transformed Subway Station & New Retails
9. John Street Revitalization Project
19. Landmark Monument
10. Building Expansion ( Cafe & Rooftop Garden)
20. Paving on the University Ave
12. Skywalk
Beverley St
11. Stage with Stairs
Soho St
1. TTC Stops 2. Bike Station
4
5 3
1
1 6 3
3
1
Peter St
Spadina Ave N
2
3
13
Duncan St
12
John St
11
15 14 10
St Patrick St
4 8
McCaul St
John St
Beverley St
7 3 3
9
16
9
University Ave
13
17 1
18 16
19 1 1
Simcoe St
12
Duncan St
11
15 14 10
St Patrick St
McCaul St
2
20
Part I: Fashion Shopping Zone
Existing Section
Design Section
Part II: Entertainment Zone
Existing Section
Design Section
Part III: Downtown Core Gateway
Existing Section
Design Section
Final Presentation