PRINCE ARTHUR S LANDING Thunder Bay, Ontario
When did you sink to your dreamless sleep Out there in your thunder bed? Where the tempests sweep, And the waters leap, And the storms rage overhead. - The Sleeping Giant Emily Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake)
Prince Arthur s Landing transforms the City of Thunder Bay s waterfront into a hybrid mixed-use village and animated waterfront park that reconnects the downtown to the shores of Lake Superior. The waterfront officially opened to the public on December 16th, 2011, and has seen record attendance, the opening of several new businesses and continues to be met with overwhelming industry acclaim. To-date, the project has received ten design excellence awards from professional associations across the country and internationally. Awards received to date, include: 2012 Waterfront Center (Washington D.C.), Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Award 2012 International Downtown Association, Pinnacle Award, Public Space Category 2012 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada National Urban Design Award, Medal, Urban Fragments Category 2012 Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, Award for Service to the Environment 2012 Canadian Institute of Planners, Award for Planning Excellence, Aboriginal Community Planning 2012 Ontario Association of Architects Award, Artifact Category 2012 Ontario Wood WORKS! Northern Ontario Excellence Award 2012 Ontario Wood WORKS! Jury s Choice Award 2011 North American Wood Design Council, Award of Merit 2010 Canadian Urban Institute Awards, Best Large Scale Project Commencing in 2006, the City of Thunder Bay commissioned a team led by Brook McIlroy to design its new mixed-use waterfront destination that would transform the City s image and quality of life. In 2009, the City was awarded the second largest contribution in Ontario under the National Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF) program. Through a $22 million investment, the City successfully leveraged a comprehensive revitalization project with a construction value of $120 million, composed of $55 million in public sector funding along with $65 million of private sector investment. The redesign of the City s historic port is based on a philosophy of sustainable revitalization which embodies the spirit, materiality and culture of Ontario s Northwest. The waterfront s network of natural and built environments is instilled with a design sensitivity that balances environmental, social and economic prosperity. Key components of the project s public elements include: An extensive Waterfront Park network including dedicated trails and a sequence of highly landscaped thematic destinations incorporating water features and $760,000 in public art installations. Water Garden Pavilion a public building consisting of a fullservice restaurant, public event space, and support services for the adjacent water feature which provides winter skating and a summer splash pool. Baggage Building Arts Centre a renovated 1900 s heritage structure with a two-level addition containing a public art gallery, retail, artisan studios and fine arts teaching areas. Market Square and Waterfront Plaza at the heart of the project, these create a multi-purpose piazza space. Pond Pavilion - space to support waterfront recreation activities including recreational rentals. Skate Board Park an exciting activity area and source of entertainment for visitors. Spirit Garden an outdoor performance/gathering area and rich public park space. A 276-slip Marina. Private sector components currently under construction include: a 150-room Delta Hotel & Conference Centre; two condominium buildings with 99 units; a three-story Market building that will house retail, food/beverage and office uses; and the heritage CN Railway Station that is being renovated to accommodate restaurants and retail uses that will enhance the visitor experience. Central to the master plan s vision is a unique approach of embedded culture, whereby public art is integrated throughout the built elements of the project. Art links the experience of place to cultural touchstones including poetry, prose and extracts from letters written by historical figures that reflect Thunder Bay s unique history, culture and Genius Loci. Two-percent of the overall construction budget was dedicated to public art, at approximately $760,000. The site itself is of profound historical significance. Situated at the juncture of the Great Lakes system and the inland routes to Canada s West, this is a place where worlds met and sometimes collided. As a whole, Prince Arthur s Landing represents the varied techniques, approaches, and design considerations of contemporary place-making a sensibility that is equally motivated by concerns for ecological restoration, cultural sensitivity and the aesthetics of an urban public space. Thunder Bay s revitalized waterfront gives expression to the Region s rich cultural heritage, providing spaces that serve as common ground and places for meditation, mediation and celebration. Gathering Circle bentwood structure in foreground with draped ash logs in background, creating an informal ampitheatre
Pier Two extending the public space of the Waterfront Plaza and Market Square out into Lake Superior, Pier 2 features treelined walkways, overlooks, a series of public art works and a unique destination - the Viewing Circle.
RED RIVER ROAD WATER STREET 10 10 9 8 6 7 2 1 4 PRINCE ARTHUR S LANDING 11 3 LAKE SUPERIOR 5 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WATER GARDEN PAVILION & SKATING RINK/ SPLASH PAD BAGGAGE BUILDING ARTS CENTRE PIERS 1 & 3 WITH BEACONS CHILDREN S POND PAVILION PIER 2 - PICNIC DOCKS & VIEWING CIRCLE MARKET SQUARE & WATERFRONT PLAZA MARKET BUILDING CN STATION HOTEL (8 STOREY) RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS (7 STOREY) SPIRIT GARDEN Don t break this circle Before the song is over Because all of our people Even the ones long gone Are holding hands - Round Dance - Sarain Stump Opposite (above): Site Plan of Prince Arthur s Landing Opposite (below left): Pier 2 at dusk. Opposite (below right): One of three Picnic Docks along Pier 2, providing places for rest, reflect and response along the water s edge. Above: Viewing Circle at the end of Pier 2, with sweeping views of the Sleeping Giant. Below: Poetry engraved on the perimeter of the Viewing Circle, by Aboriginal artist and writer, Sarain Stump.
Waterfront Plaza At the base of Pier 2, the Waterfront Plaza provides an informal amphitheatre area for concerts and busking and enjoys spectacular views to the Marina, Lake Superior and the two Beacons at the ends of Piers 1 and 3. Setback from the water s edge, a series of wide landscaped steps provide areas for people watching and relaxation, complementing the bustling activities from adjacent buildings and Market Square.
Opposite (above): Rendering of the shoreline steps. Opposite (below): View of the Waterfront Plaza during the summer. This Page: Two 22 metre tall weathering steel Beacons were designed with Winnipeg artists spmb. Each beacon displays an array of LED lights that scroll in morse code relaying traditional Anishinabe stories. Approaching them at the tip of the Piers you can hear these stories projected from speakers alternating between their traditional language and English.
Water Garden Pavilion this building supports park and waterfront activities with washrooms, changing facilities and a warm-up room for adjacent recreational uses, such as the splash pad/skating rink, boat pond and skateboard park. There is also a café/restaurant with panoramic views of Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant, and a public visitor centre space called Mariner s Hall accommodating exhibitions and summer day camp activities.
Opposite: Water Garden Pavilion Splash Pad (above) and Skating Rink (below). Above (left): Mariner s Hall, flexible art gallery event space within the Pavilion. Above (right): The Lodge, change room and support area for skating rink/ splash pad. Left: The Clearing, full-service restaurant, opening Winter 2012.
The design of Mariner s Hall is a nod to the legacy of Thunder Bay s massive laker-ships and grain elevators.
Baggage Building Arts Centre originally constructed in the early 1900 s, the Baggage Building Arts Centre has been expanded with a new two-storey addition - a creative hub combining exhibition, teaching and retail space with artisan studios.
Opposite: Baggage Building Arts Centre at dusk, with Jardin Elipse in foreground. Above: Water feature wall outside the Arts Centre. Below (left): Interior of the Baggage Building Arts Centre. Below (right): Poetry etched within granite seating area on the waterfront plaza.
the Spirit Garden a headland extending into Lake Superior, giving expression to the deep cultural and historic roots that link Aboriginal peoples to this ancient settlement area. The design was a collaboration with aboriginal architect-intern Ryan Gorrie and features a Gathering Circle created with ancient bentwood building technologies, the Living Shoreline wetland habitat, the Healing Garden of traditional aboriginal plants, and the Honouring Circle with a fire pit overlooking Nanabijou (the Sleeping Giant).
Opposite (above): Gathering Circle at sunset, overlooking downtown Thunder Bay. Opposite (below left): Traditional Aboriginal building techniques were used to design and construct the Gathering Circle. Opposite (below right): Signage at the Living Shoreline. Above: Gathering Circle at Living Shoreline during the day, as an active area open to the public. Below: The Honouring Circle, with dramatic views over the Sleeping Giant.
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