Sky Park

SKY PARK Canadian National Studio Toronto, Ontario Fall 2009

Sky Park is a landscape at the base of the CN tower that creates a view rivaling that from the top, heightening the extremes of the tower experience and the relationship of the individual in the city.

Working with the tallest structure of the city and a relative void at the base, the park is a frame constructing a sublime view of the tower, sky, and new horizon.

View from the top of the tower

View from Sky Park at base of tower

SITE CONTEXT + COMPONENTS

TREE CANOPY

Wild Perimeter - Birches, Aspens Geometric Centre - Sugar and Red Maples

Tree Canopy

BUILDINGS Partially buried by slopes Roundhouse c 1920 Tower c.1970 Convention Centre c. 1980 Building ruins

STORMWATER

Typical 15 min. rainfall event 2,500 m3 Absorption rate 40% = 1,000 m3 volume to be retained Required area: 45m x 45m x 2m, assuming 30% gravel voids

Stormwater management

EARTHWORK

Rocky exterior Earthen interior 3:1 100,000 m2 surface area

Earthwork

553 m

SKYCRAPER INVENTORY

210 m 185 m

108 m

153 m

83 m

95 m

121 m

83 m

223 m

148 m

60 m 86 m

99 m

75 m 63 m

99 m 136 m 50 m

81 m

81 m

92 m

118 1 m

118 m

117 m

VIEWS: Reduced, Obscured, Camouflaged

Reduced cone of vision

Tree canopy camouflage

Perimeter berm obscures surroundings 60°

A B

+81

+93 95 93 91 89 87 85 83 81 79

+95

60°

77

60°

+92

+77 76 +81

A D 80

75

B

C

60°

79

78

77

76

D

+86

C 60°

Reduced cone of vision

Celestial Vault by J. Turrell in Kijkduin, NL

Obscured

Camouflaged

Velodrome

Toronto’s waterfront skyline

Constructed as a monumental earthwork, the park has a raised perimeter rising 15 metres from the sidewalk grade, meeting the elevation of the John Street pedestrian bridge and the Union Station skywalk on the northern corners of the site. A dense tree canopy further heightens the perimeter edge.

Canyons and volcanoes, arenas and stadiums, forts and velodromes are natural and constructed examples of this form in which elevation and enclosure encompass movement, spectacle and views.

View from Gardiner Expressway

2.0

km

ø

Bellevue Square

1.5

Alexandra Park

km

ø

Grange Park Spadina Ave

Carr Street Parkette

Bathurst Street

1.0

km

St. Patrick’s Square

ø Queen Street West

Cloud Garden St. Andrew’s Playground

King Street West

0.5 km ø

Metro Hall

Victoria Park Memorial Square

Clarence Square Park

Wellington Street

Simcoe Park Isabella Valancy Crawford Park

CN Tower Site

Music Garden

Spadina Quay Wetland

HT0 Park

HT0 Park Harbour Square Park

North

Little Norway Park

Ireland Park

Stadium Road Park

SECTIONS EAST-WEST

URBAN CONTEXT: PARKS WITHIN 2 KM RADIUS

VEGETATION: shape, colour, movement

Sugar Maple Acer saccharum

White Birch, Gray Birch Betula papyrifera, populifolia

Round-leaved Dogwood Cornus rugosa

Trembling Aspen Populus tremuloides

Big Bluestem Grass Andropogoan gerrardii

Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans

Red Oak Quercus rubra

Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis

Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus

Switchgrass Panicum virgatum

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed Eupatoire maculĂŠe

MOWING PATTERNS: views, paths, perspective

PLANTING PLANS: growth, thinning, re-planting

195

0-25 years: 195 trees

98

25-50 years: 98 trees

77 50-75 years: 77 trees

100+ years: 93 trees

93

Entrance at sidewalk grade

The slopes act as a canvas for the shifting shadows cast by the perimeter berm and tower, and a variety of tall grasses give texture and movement and can be mowed in various patterns.

Tower Base redefined