REGENT PARK AQUATIC CENTRE Toronto / Ontario / Canada
REGENT PARK AQUATIC CENTRE
The aquatic centre is the first facility in Canada to adopt the singular use of universal change rooms, no longer separating males and females, rather common change rooms with private change cubicles. This establishes equality; addressing cultural and gender identity issues, while also enhancing the openness, safety, and visibility through the entire complex.
Located in downtown Toronto, Canada, Regent Park is the Country’s oldest
The facility also has two double sliding glass doors off the main pool hall for
and largest social housing project, built in the late 1940’s. The community
sunbathing access to the park-side terrace. Responding to the views from
has historically been viewed as a transitional community for new immigrants,
the new high-rise towers surrounding the park, the building’s Green Roof is
but due to social and physical planning ills, it has contributed to the
designed as a fifth elevation, integrating with the building features and park
concentration of a socially marginalized population. 41% of the population
setting.
living in Regent Park are under 18, and over 70% of the population lives below the Low-Income Cut-Off Rate.
In the last three decades, Regent Park has become an immigrant settlement
The 12 year Regent Park Revitalization project began in 2005 to redevelop
accommodation with the addition of a complete system of aquatics hall
the 69 acre community to be a vibrant mixed-use mixed-income community.
screening for those cultural groups interested in privacy swims. The adoption
The Regent Park Aquatic Centre, completed in 2012, is the key civic amenity
of this new progressive feature along with the universal change rooms, the
centered on the eastern flank of the new central park development as the
combination of fitness, leisure, and therapeutic aquatic uses, and the open
heart of the revitalization.
and inviting design have greatly increased interest in the City’s aquatic venues.
Regent Park Aquatic Centre has been conceived as a ‘Pavilion in the Park’,
This project typifies the design legacy commitment of the Regent Park
very open at the base, and bisected lengthwise by a ‘dorsal fin’ of aquatic
revitalization program. The building is both sculptural and urban in its’
hall sky lighting. It is a multi-purpose swimming pool facility that includes
resolution as a park pavilion in a rigorous urban grid. The interior design is
a 25m 6 lane pool, leisure pool, tot pool, hot tub, slide, tarzan rope, and a
clean and simple in its’ resolution, open and inviting, and active and fun in
diving board. Replacing an existing outdoor pool, the project captures a
use. This facility provides an important civic amenity to a once marginalized
feeling of transparency and connection to the outdoors.
neighbourhood.
community. As such, the new Aquatic Centre offers a new level of
Oak Street
Playground
Playground
Garden/ Green House
Dog Off Lash Area
Sis Cyril and Methody Machedonia Entry Plaza
Dundas Street East
SITE PLAN
Water Play Sumach Street
Sackville Street
Green Open Space
RESPONDING TO THE VIEWS FROM THE NEW HIGH-RISE TOWERS SURROUNDING THE PARK, THE BUILDING’S GREEN ROOF TERRACE, DESIGNED AS FIFTH ELEVATION, INTEGRATES WITH THE BUILDING FEATURES AND PARK SETTING.
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GROUND FLOOR PLAN
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Main 12m Entrance
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Main Concourse
3 Reception Regent Park Aquatic Centre - Ground Floor Plan
1. Main4Entrance Meeting Room 2. Main Concourse 5 Admin Staff 3. Reception 6 Office 4. Meeting Room 5. Admin 7 Staff Aquatic Staff 6. Office 8 Staff Change Rooms 7. Aquatic 8. Change 9 Rooms Change Room Concourse 9. Change Room Concourse 10 Aquatic Hall 10. Aquatic Hall Pool Storage 11. Pool 11 Storage 12. Outdoor 12 Terrace Outdoor Terraces
ENTRANCE LOBBY
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10 FT. 3M.
SHORT SECTION
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10 FT. 3M.
LONG SECTION
THIS MULTI-PURPOSE SWIMMING POOL FACILITY INCLUDES A 25M 6 LANE POOL, LEISURE POOL, TOT POOL, HOT TUB, SLIDE, TARZAN ROPE, AND A DIVING BOARD
REPLACING AN EXISTING OUTDOOR POOL, THE PROJECT CAPTURES A FEELING OF TRANSPARENCY AND CONNECTION TO THE OUTDOORS
THE REGENT PARK AQUATIC CENTRE IS THE KEY CIVIC AMENITY CENTRED ON THE EASTERN FLANK OF THE NEW CENTRAL PARK DEVELOPMENT AS THE HEART OF THE REVITALIZATION
THE AQUATIC CENTRE IS THE FIRST FACILITY IN CANADA TO ADOPT THE SINGULAR USE OF UNIVERSAL CHANGE ROOMS; ADDRESSING CULTURAL AND GENDER IDENTITY ISSUES, WHILE ALSO ENHANCING THE OPENNESS, SAFETY, AND VISIBILITY THROUGH THE ENTIRE COMPLEX
Copyright Š 2017 by MJMA All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. For more information about this project, please contact: Amanda Chong T: 416-593-6796 ext 245 E: achong@mjma.ca www.mjma.ca