Princes’ Gates
Location: 11 Princes’ Blvd, Toronto, Canada
Client: City of Toronto
Project Start Date: 2005
Project End Date: 2006
Project Type:
Civic
Design Competitions
Parks, Recreation and Open Space
About the Project
In 2006 The MBTW Group in collaboration with Sering + Sistema Duemila from Milan, won an international design competition for the redesign of the symbolic Princes’ Gates plaza located at the entrance to the CNE grounds. In 1924, the CNE Association hired the architectural firm of Chapman and Oxley to create a fifty- year plan for the redevelopment of the eastern end of the CNE grounds. A significant feature of this plan was the construction of a monumental entrance to link the CNE with the city of Toronto. This entranceway, built in 1927 on the 60th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, was originally named “The Diamond Jubilee of Confederation Gates.” When it was learned that Prince Edward and Prince George would visit the CNE in 1927, the Gates were renamed the Princes’ Gates in honour of the two royal brothers. Prince Edward, provided with gold scissors, cut the purple ribbon to officially open the Princes’ Gates on August 30, 1927.
The competition team’s design captures and celebrates the origin of the Gates and of the CNE enhancing the sense of place in the new urban waterfront fabric capitalizing on creating and strengthening linkages to the waterfront and the city. Stakeholders for the project included The CNE and the Toronto Transit Commission.
The project scope of work included concept design, design development, construction drawings, costing, specifications, sub-consultant drawing coordination, tendering and contract administration services. The project was completed on schedule and within project budgetary constraints. Design considerations included special events coordination including at the time, the Molson Indy and a variety of other large scale public events; specialty lighting, furnishings and removable bollards; special reinforced unit paving; and cultural interpretive elements.
Services:
Accessibility and Risk Assessment
Contract Administration
Graphic Art & Interpretive Signage Design
Landscape Architecture
Project Management
Urban Design
Visualization
Awards
