The Toronto Public Library Bloor/Gladstone District Library renovation and addition by RDHA is one of 10 Toronto projects featured in the ArchDaily article “The Queen City: Museums and the Arts in Toronto”. Author Eric Baldwin writes, “Reinterpreting modern building practices, the projects embrace distinct programs within their unique streetscapes and fabrics. Together, they begin to showcase the dynamic architecture of art in Toronto.”
Eric goes on to say, “As Canada’s most populous location, Toronto has developed into a global powerhouse, both as an economic and cultural hub. This extends to the significant museums and arts facilities across the Queen City. With one of the most unique landscapes and ground conditions across the country, Toronto was built on a large ravine system running throughout its urban fabric. Today, the city’s educational, arts, and cultural buildings are thriving.
New designs in Toronto boast soaring forms, unique spatial experiences, and innovative material assemblies. Housing exhibitions and works across multiple mediums, including cinematography, ceramics, and performance-based art, the following projects are home to important civic and public programs. Whether simple, orthogonal buildings or complex, crystalline additions, the designs carefully craft spaces which celebrate light, robust organizational principles, and layered levels of transparency.
The Bloor/Gladstone District Library project is a renovation and addition to a listed heritage library in downtown Toronto. The architects were commissioned to design for an additional 12,000 sqf, bringing the collection and facilities to a level consistent with that of a Toronto District Library. The final design includes major renovations to the existing building as well as the construction of an addition.”