Ontario Construction News staff writer
Design firms Snøhetta and Hariri Pontarini Architects have been selected to design a new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place, the province announced as part of its broader redevelopment plan for the waterfront site in Toronto.
The new facility will span approximately 400,000 square feet and could be completed as early as 2029. According to the province, the project will include construction of a new mainland science centre building, renovation of the existing Ontario Place pods and upgrades to the Cinesphere.
The complex will provide expanded programming space compared with the previous Science Centre location and is intended to host exhibitions, hands-on science displays, educational workshops and other visitor programming.
As part of the plan, the iconic pods at Ontario Place will be modernized and integrated into the new science centre complex, housing science-focused installations and visitor experiences.
The Cinesphere, which opened in 1971 as the world’s first permanent IMAX theatre, will undergo interior and exterior renovations as well as acoustic and technical upgrades.
The science centre project forms part of a wider transformation of Ontario Place that includes new public trails, expanded green space, beaches, playgrounds, event spaces, a modernized marina and a redesigned RBC Echo Beach Amphitheatre.
