Hariri Pontarini Architects and Snhetta to Design New Ontario Science Centre in Toronto

"The architectural proposal organizes new construction and heritage structures into a cohesive campus, establishing visual and physical connections between the city and Lake Ontario. By consolidating the five existing Pods, the Cinesphere, and the new building into a unified spatial framework, the design reinforces the waterfront's civic identity while reinterpreting Ontario Place's original ambition as a landscape for public learning, innovation, and recreation."

"The concept draws on the metaphor of constellations, using celestial patterns as an organizing principle to connect the project's multiple components. Program elements are conceived as a series of 'molecules' or modules that cluster to form immersive interior and exterior environments. This strategy translates into a massing composition articulated by scalloped and arced silhouettes, creating a rhythmic envelope that modulates scale, frames views toward the lake and skyline, and establishes a distinct architectural presence along the shoreline."

The new Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Snøhetta, will serve as a cultural anchor for Ontario Place's waterfront redevelopment. The 400,000-square-foot facility comprises a 220,000-square-foot building with scalloped, modular volumes that integrate the existing five Pods and historic Cinesphere through elevated connections and continuous public promenades. The design organizes new construction and heritage structures into a cohesive campus, establishing visual and physical connections between the city and Lake Ontario. Using a constellation metaphor, program elements cluster as modules to create immersive environments. The massing features scalloped and arced silhouettes that modulate scale, frame views toward the lake, and establish a distinct architectural presence. Construction begins Spring 2026, with completion anticipated in 2029.

Read at ArchDaily