Cooper Koo Family Cherry Street YMCA

The LEED Gold-certified Cooper Koo Family Cherry Street YMCA is a key part of a larger development that has transformed remediated industrial land in the West Don Lands precinct of Toronto. The project had a unique timeframe: initially, the development was the Athlete’s Village for the 2015 PanAm / Parapan Games, with MJMA’s component serving as a social hub for the Village; after the Games, the building was converted to a YMCA, and the Village became a progressively-designed, fully-served neighbourhood.

The building responds to its surroundings with civic and human-scaled gestures. Its western elevation joins a pair of red brick heritage structures to the south, to act as a gateway from downtown into nearby established neighbourhoods, while extensive exterior glazing allows its interior life to be shared with the street. At the time of its completion, the facility was one of the most accessible in PanAm / Parapan Games history and the most accessible in the YMCA’s portfolio. Now, with over 1,000 visitors per day, it is an inclusive and dynamic centrepiece in one of Toronto’s newest neighbourhoods, destined to contribute to the flourishing of its community and the city for years to come.

To take a holistic approach with the Pan Am development — which afterwards became the Canary District neighbourhood — MJMA collaborated with three other architectural practices and a larger multi-disciplinary team: combining expertise in urban planning and design, as well as the design of landscape, retail, multi-family and student residences, community centres, and sports facilities.