Location: Mississauga, OntarioArchitects: Perkins+Will Canada Inc.Date of Completion: 2016OAA Awards 2017 Design Excellence Finalist
Located at the heart of a transforming neighborhood in Mississauga is the new Meadowvale Community Centre and Library. It offers a set of highly accessible recreational and social programs to an increasingly diverse and active community while creating new connections between city and landscape.
In the mid1970s, Meadowvale Centre was conceived as a larger residential subdivision that would organize homes, schools, and a community center around a park and manmade lake. Since then, the neighborhood has grown, with the park and lake evolving into a rich natural and social ecosystem. By 2014, however, the Centre was no longer able to serve the needs of its population or to meet rigorous new accessibility and sustainability standards. The Centre's reconstruction was the City's opportunity to imagine its next generation of community facilities.
Site Plan
Diagram Credit: Perkins+Will Canada Inc.
The construction of the new Meadowvale Centre on the site of the existing municipal community centre involved:
1-maintaining and refurbishing the original pool tank within the context of the new development,
2-inclusion of new program spaces such as a branch library, youth and senior’s community rooms, a fitness centre, a gymnasium, a therapy pool to complement the lap pool, and gender neutral and family change rooms.
3-And finally an extensive landscaping program including outdoor terraces, roof gardens and an arrival court that integrates the building into its context, creating a threshold between the city and Lake Aquitaine Park.
Library, Children’s Area - The expressive walls of the children’s area provide a focal point for the main volume of the library.
Photo Credit: Lisa Logan
A series of boldly articulated terraces unlock the potential of a sloped site, creating a suite of indoor and outdoor spaces that engage the adjacent parkland and lake. These white masonry terraces are animated by three glass lanterns, framing views and bringing light deep into the heart of the building, and by ribbons of colorful louvres that mediate and filter sunlight on the east and west exposures.
Natural Connection - Skillful negotiation of a complex topography creates moments of natural connection all around the perimeter of the building.
Photo Credit: Lisa Logan
The act of filtration permeates the architecture and landscape, shaping the building’s response to water and light. The colored brise-soleil shades the building during the summer and animates its interiors during the bleak winter months. The integration of this bold and expressive shading system permits expansive areas of glazing that offer direct and panoramic connections from the Centre to the landscape beyond. Building and landscape work in concert to direct, divert and retain storm water as it travels towards Lake Aquitaine. Green roofs, bioswales and interceptors filter this runoff, substantially improving the final quality of discharge into the lake.
A Colourful Brisesoleil - Along the face of the building, a colourful brisesoleil filters light and creates a generous colonnade.
Photo Credit: Lisa Logan
Accessibility and inclusivity are primary drivers of the interior space of the Centre. The plan and section support intuitive way finding, with material choices reinforcing the architectural organization and providing strong cues for the visually impaired. The collocation of recreation, community and library programs optimizes staffing and site and building infrastructure. Many spaces were designed with dual function, recognizing the utilization patterns of different groups. A commitment to providing barrier free program areas and gender neutral change facilities ensure that the centre can be enjoyed by the whole Meadowvale community.
Photo Credit: Lisa Logna
Diagram Credit: Perkins+Will Canada Inc.,
On the exterior, the building unlocks the potential of the landscape for the entire neighbourhood. Towards the city and main thoroughfare, the building reads as a strong, simple gesture – a destination and community landmark within its densifying context. From the park, the building is a collection of interior and exterior rooms that connect to each other and their surroundings, enabling and enriching the relationship between city and landscape.
Enticing Visitors - Light spills out from each of the building’s programs, enticing visitors into the evening.
Photo Credit: Lisa Logan
The architecture of the Centre creates a bold and colorful marque that is an accessible gateway to wellness, recreation and literacy that reflects the vibrancy and diversity of Meadowvale.