OCAD Toronto

OCAD U plans major expansion of Toronto campus

OCAD University has big plans for its downtown Toronto campus. Already known for Will Alsop's landmark Sharp Centre for Design, the school has announced a series of initiatives to expand and revitalize its holdings along McCaul St.

Perhaps the most stunning of the additions in the works is the Rosalie Sharp Pavilion. Designed by Bortolotto Architects, the stunning building will provide a dramatic entranceway to the campus across from the AGO on the southeast corner of Dundas and McCaul.

Joining this previously announced project, is what the university is calling the Creative Campus project, which will add 55,000 square feet of space to the campus and renovate about 95,000 square feet more.

The idea to revitalize the campus has been in the works for a while, but with the recent announcement of the architects that will lead the project, progress is starting to be made.

Morphosis and Teeple Architects will collaborate on the expansion of the campus with the help of Two Row Architect, a native-owned and operated firm that will be instrumental on the design of a new Indigenous Visual Culture and Student Centre.

There are numerous other plans that the design team will tackle as well.

Chief among these is a major addition and renovation of 100 McCaul St., which currently houses the school's primary library. This will be expanded, new classrooms will be added, and OCAD U will relocate the Indigenous Visual Culture and Student Centre here from down the street.

Other buildings in store for improvements include George Reid House, the Sharp Centre for Design, and the Art and Design Library. Part of this work will be funded through a $27 million grant from the provincial government received last year.

The new facilities will put a premium on studio space and revitalizing the university's presence along McCaul St. It's still early days in the project, but exciting stuff is in store.

Lead photo by

Hamish Grant


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