Defined Design: Sherbourne Common Pavilion

art (noun) \ˈärt\

the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also works so produced. The Sherbourne Common Pavilion in Toronto represents the potential of public projects to function as works of art. The $27 million waterfront centerpiece was designed by Teeple Architects in collaboration with designer Phillips Farvaag Smallenberg and artist Jill Anholt, and the project earned both LEED Gold certification and an honorable mention from the Toronto Urban Design Awards, as well as a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.

gal·va·nized (adj) \ˈgal-və-ˌnīzd\

(iron or steel) coated with zinc. The steel structure of the pavilion is completely galvanized. The zinc is not only a nod to the waterfront’s industrial past, but also an implicit recognition of the element’s mineral importance in public health. Anti-corrosive, the unpolished pavilion exterior will wear evenly as it ages, while the pavilion underside is polished to allow for maximal sunlight.

mi·cro·evo·lu·tion (verb) \ˈmī-(ˌ)krō-ˌe-və-ˈlü-shən

comparatively minor evolutionary change. Seated on Toronto’s formerly industrialized waterfront, the pavilion is an early and integral microevolution within the greater transformation of Toronto’s waterfront. More than 13 acres of public space will be added around the site in the next decade, and plans include new space for 6,000 residential units and 3 million square feet of commercial space.

prec·e·dent (noun) \ˈpre-sə-dənt\

something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind. Despite housing bathrooms, changing rooms, concessions, and mechanical operations for the park, the topographically distinct architectonics of the pavilion spite the often-used field-house pragmatism. It sets a strong precedent for new waterfront architecture and acts as both a view from the city to the park and from the park to the city.