Civic Architecture
The qualities and aspirations of this project are similar to that of my thesis proposal. The goals were to revitalize the city's main downtown street by providing a new focal point and heart for the community. In addition, this would reinforce the urban character of the downtown, the economy, public life and help encourage the development of high quality design in the downtown.
The Kitchener City Hall,
Kubarawa Payne McLenna Blumberg Architects
Kitchener, Ontario 1990
Sectional Organization
King Street is the primary level of public access and activity. The Civic Square,
Interior Square and Civic Rotunda are all accessible on the ground floor of the
scheme. The Interior Square is bordered by a large committee room, parts of
the clerk's department requiring a high degree of public accessibility, and the public
information desk.
At Duke street level, the second floor is developed as a piano nobile overlooking the Interior Square and Civic Square. The Council of Chamber, the offices of the Mayor, members of the Council, the Council lounge, committee meeting rooms, a day care center and administrative meeting rooms are found on this floor allowing it to provide strong interior connections between the public and council, departmental staff and the public, thereby consolidating the building around the rotunda.
Public Access
The square is accessible at four corners, inviting spontaneous entry to the space
and giving several choices to move through the site. A public pedestrian route
is created through the building as an extension of Gaukel Street. It is
conceptualized as a landscaped, "green" public route providing
access to Victoria Park. Buildings and grounds are made highly accessible and
penetrable beyond normal business hours. Access to below grade parking is allowed
from College and Young Streets. A protected drop off area is also provided
on Young Street.
Civic Square And Rotunda
While the Civic Square serves outdoor assembly a Civic Rotunda is used for indoor
assembly. These elements are transparent allowing one to see the activity in another. The
Rotunda is clad in stone and lighted through clerestory openings in the roof. The deep
view is held in a sand-blasted patinated glass screen held in a copper-patinated frame at
north end of rotunda.
Civic Tower
This has representational value in the scheme. The cube at the top is
illuminated at night serving as a weather beacon, helping to project a
striking skyline image, identifiable from afar. It also accommodates a public
shuttle and stair at its base.
Public Presence
Large and small scales are present. The project's great breadth and height are
proportioned to work within and stand apart from the existing urban fabric.
Civic precedence such as the agora, acropolis, public square, civic hall are evoked
but design reflects time, making the complex monumental yet informal.
Materiality
The use of different materials and color help enhance the project: the civic
walls and civic rotunda are clad in reddish sandstone, the space below the elevated civic
walls is of glass (sandblasted and clear and rendered as a base). The
Council Chamber and wall component of administration offices are clad in
pre-finished metal panels, the office slab is a curtain wall with a high proportion of
glass while the civic tower is clad in pre-finished aluminum and glass. Other
materials used throughout are patinated copper and honed green granite.
source: text has been adapted from Competing Visions, The Kitchener City Hall Competition