Reimagining University Avenue

The transformation of this high-traffic promenade knit together patches of public green space that were previously disconnected and inaccessible, creating a signature destination in the centre of Toronto. This project is part of several minor adjustments to the existing roadway and the conversion of just 9.5 acres of asphalt into native landscape, pedestrian walkways, bike paths, and cultural installations, resulting in a 90-acre park that spans approximately 4km from the city centre to the waterfront. By day, the installation’s sculptural forms have an intriguing modern presence that reaches everyone from drivers to pedestrians to hospital patients looking out their window. It is by night that the installation truly springs into action, playing animated lighting sequences that can be programmed to respond to either an audio feed or to ambient sound detected from the surrounding environment.