Recalibrating Infrastructure and Ecologies: Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario
In a design led by Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates, the new mouth of the Don River imitates the curves and eddies of a natural estuary, but takes form as a highly engineered construction. Reinforced riverbanks protect the surrounding planned development, and layers of impermeable protection line the channel to prevent contamination from the surrounding groundwater, which has been affected by over a century of industrial uses in the area.
TEXT Shannon Bassett
PHOTOS Vid Ingelevics and Ryan Walker
Something big is happening east of downtown Toronto. The Don River runs through one of Toronto?s major ravine systems, and is one of the most urbanized watersheds in North America. In the largest design and construction project of its kind currently underway in North America, crews are restoring the natural systems of the mouth of the Don River, where it empties out into Lake Ontario. The river, in its current configuration, is being moved. It?s a monumental effort to carve a new river channel out of the existing industrial lands. This entails dismantling buildings, remediating soils, layering new habitat on top, and setting the stage for future development. This de-engineers over a century of development, and will ultimately recover the site?s deep ecological history as a dynamic estuary: the mouth of the Don River was once the largest freshwater wetland on the Great Lakes. But people are also a big part of the picture: the result will include large-scale urban parks, as wel...
_MFUENTENOTICIAS
canadian architect
_MURLDELAFUENTE
https://www.canadianarchitect.com/
-------------------------------- |
Drone-testing atrium takes centre stage at Foster + Partners' headquarters for DJI |
|
U.S. Bank Tower: Redesigning the Modern Workplace Experience
06-05-2024 08:36 - (
Architecture )
Sydney Harbour Apartment: Luxurious Renovation with Iconic Views
06-05-2024 08:36 - (
Architecture )