Wellesley Community Centre and St. James Town Library
Toronto, Ontario
The Wellesley Community Centre is an early example of a building conceived to consolidate several previously typically separated facilities into one complex, to create a true place of community. Situated in the largely low-income but vibrant neighbourhood of St. James Town, the facility has brought social and recreational opportunities to an area of downtown Toronto that had severely lacked such amenities.
The first phase of the project was completed by MJMA with ZAS Architects in 2005 and was lauded for its functionality, immediate popularity with the community, and as an example of ‘beauty on a budget’. Nearly two decades after the aquatics programming was removed from the original plan because of budget restrictions, MJMA’s 54,000sf Pool Addition was completed to achieve the City’s vision for a ‘full community centre’. This aquatics hall and other new spaces continue the original centre’s legacy, providing much-needed programs and an inviting, sustainable design that meets Tier 1 of the City of Toronto’s Green Standards.
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Structural: XX
Mechanical + Electrical: XX
Civil: XX
Program
Aquatic Centre (5-Lane 25m Lap Pool, Leisure Pool, Hydro Therapy Pool, Steam Room, M/F/Universal Changerooms)
Additional Program
Multipurpose Rooms, Gymnasium, Fitness Conditioning Space, Multi-Use Studios, Changerooms, Branch Library, Child Care, Outdoor Program (Community Courtyards)
Awards
2007 Ontario Library Association (OLA) Award
2007 Recreation Management Innovative Architecture and Design Awards
2006 Design Exchange National Awards
2005 Building Magazine Outside of the Box Awards – Urban Design Category
2005 Toronto Urban Design Awards
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2013 Ontario Association of Architects:
Design Excellence Award
2013 Toronto Urban Design Awards: Buildings in Context – Public: Award of Excellence