The National Arts Centre has hired an architectural firm to develop ideas to build a new entrance complex, scheduled to arrive in conjunction with the light-rail transit station outside the NAC’s Elgin Street entrance in 2018.
The NAC hired Diamond + Schmitt Architects of Toronto to develop a plan to make the current entrance more animated and inviting to commuters leaving the underground station after work.
The NAC called for a “schematic design concept” which includes a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections and exterior and interior perspectives, according to a request-for-proposal (RFP) document released by the NAC in October.
“The plan is to attract more commuters to stay downtown after work and come see a performance,” said NAC spokesperson Carl Martin. “Right now the entrance is plain and windowless.”
The project aims to enhance the building’s architectural visibility by introducing a transparent entrance complex with new functions. It also plans to create a hub along Elgin Street which will host events and showcase performances, according to the RFP document.
The NAC building was declared a national historic site in 2006. The Monuments Board of Canada cites it as an outstanding example of design which features striking geometry and a refined use of concrete.
Changes to the building must “respect the architecture, heritage value, and character defining the elements of the National Arts Centre Historic Site,” the RFP notes.
But Martin stressed the plan is in preliminary stages, and that similar plans in the past have been developed and shelved.