Not every venue for the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/ Parapan Am Games was a new build. Many competitions were held across the region in existing facilities which already met the demanding standards required for high-performance sports competition. Many of these existing venues are also important sports and events hub in the Greater Toronto Area, with a proven track record of handling large crowds and hosting world-class athletes. Within this category is the The Hershey Centre in Mississauga. Known during Games time as the Mississauga Sports Centre, The Hershey Centre has become one of the most important hubs for sports and large scale events in the Greater Toronto Area, welcoming over 3.5 million guests since its opening. For the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/ Parapan Am Games, the Centre hosted judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling, goalball, powerlifting, and wheelchair rugby (a.k.a. murderball), making it the only venue to host competitions every day of the Games. In this post of “The Architects behind the Games”,
Parkin Architects Limited in Joint Venture with
ZAS shares the story behind the design of this large scale sports complex.
Photo Credit: Richard Johnson Photography
From the architects: Parkin Architects in Joint Venture with
Zawadzki Armin Stevens Architects designed The Hershey Centre which was completed in 1997 (Phase 1). Two subsequent phases (phase 2 -2003 and phase 3 -2007) completed this 75 acre sports development for the fast-growing City of Mississauga.
Phase 1 included 5,400 spectators seats with 27 separately accessed private boxes along one side and a sports bar/club lounge for the exclusive use of the 1,200 club seat holders on the other. Completed in just 11 months from commencement of design to completion of construction, the complex was finished on time and on budget.
Phase 2 included a $9 million twin rink addition consisting of 10,000 S.F. of community meeting rooms, offices and food court.
Phase 3, the Sports Complex. was the final phase of this ambitious sports facility. While physically interconnected with the existing arena complex for ease of operations and multi-venue usage, the core design goal for the Sports Complex was to create a unique yet complimentary identity. Attached to the original 5,400 seat NHL spectator arena and three community ice pads, the Sports Complex includes a field house containing a regulation size FIBA soccer field, as well as a triple gymnasium and separate gymnastics training centre for the City’s elite-level club. Support spaces include 24 accessible change rooms equally convenient to the gymnasium and field house and interconnected in pairs to provide for larger teams. Dedicated separate change rooms are provided for gymnastics club members. A third level above the main lobby accommodates office and retail space for associated sports organizations and services. Two outdoor artificial FIBA soccer fields and associated freestanding change-house provide further program capacity.
Photo Credit: Richard Johnson Photography
Taking advantage of the sloping site, the design reduces the building mass by recessing the event level one storey into the ground, allowing the main entrance to be placed at the upper spectator and administration level. For major spectator events, a separate players' entrance on the opposite side leads directly to the change-room and event level thereby minimizing congestion.
The transparent main entrance and associated lobby function as a visual beacon to welcome both participants and spectators. The central location with its clear views to all activity areas and circulation routes provides an immediate orientation point for all users. Bold colours identify each major program area and are coordinated with the site and building signage.
To convey a unified appearance for both the Sports Complex and the adjacent arena, exterior finishes utilize the same coloured architectural block and prefinished composite metal wall panel vocabulary of the first two phases while banded masonry “feature” walls and an intricate curtain wall design create a recognizable unique identity.