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