Ryerson University announced last week that they'd signed on
Toronto's
Zeidler Partnership Architects and
Sn�hetta of Oslo to design their
new $45-million Student Learning Centre, which will fill the sad hole left by
their recent demolition of the old World of Posters, Future Shop and, of
course,
Sam the Record Man at the corner of Yonge and Gould.
"I think it's going to be a compilation of everything," says
Ryerson spokeswoman Heather Kearney, of the design-in-progress and the
presentation the two firms gave of their previous work on libraries and
campuses around the world that won them the commission. Zeidler is most
famously responsible for Ontario Place (1967-71), the Eaton Centre (1974-81)
and the Queens Quay Terminal refurbishment (1979-83), and Sn�hetta made their
reputation with the Alexandria Library (1989-2001).
Kearney estimates there will be a year of design work on the 160,000 square foot, 10-storey building, which will include a library, so
construction is not expected to begin until sometime in 2011, with a 2013
completion date set.
The $45 million is all provincial funding though with no
design, there's no word yet on whether that's going to be the entire budget. "I
assume they're going to work within that budget,' Kearney says, "but whether
it's realistic or not I don't know."
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Ryerson University