The Canyon

In the original competition scheme, the discussion of the parti focussed on the idea of a river as the generating form for the terminal. Rivers have played an important role in the formation of the GTA and the notion of locating the gateway to the city on the banks of a river creates a strong sense of place that is truly Canadian. In developing the scheme further, we transformed the idea of the river into the notion of the canyon. The canyon became the threshold between city and gateway, creating a zone of consciousness that distinguished the terminal from the wilderness of the hill. The terminal is perched on the edge of the canyon, at curbside, and access is gained through pedestrian bridges that span the canyon. Perspective at Canyon Roadside