The Weston Family Learning Centre (WFLC), located in the west wing of the Art Gallery of Ontario, creates a light-filled teaching space for museum visitors, students, and the creative community to experience the power of art. Situated on the concourse and sub-basement levels, the renovation includes dedicated teaching areas and large, flexible program spaces with urban views and interior vistas throughout. Simple design features add significant value: the vertically adjustable curved coatrack eliminates the need for a separate cloakroom; blackout screens along the west façade facilitate live performances, screenings, or photography workshops; and robust furniture can be easily rearranged to meet diverse program needs. The WFLC design accommodates diverse activities and user groups. Each meeting space integrates broadcast and video conferencing capabilities to support multiple educational and private functions.
Weston Family Learning Centre
Toronto, ON
Project Facts
Client
Art Gallery of Ontario
Location
Toronto, ON
Status
Completed 2011
Size
35,000 sq. ft.
Partner
Siamak Hariri
Sketch by Siamak Hariri
“What Siamak has achieved, is a real sense of invitation through space and light, which is glorious and very much different than before.”
— Matthew Teitelbaum, Former Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario
Model Study
A cantilevered glass paneled Seminar Room floats above the Gallery School, a 6,000 square foot studio space that can be sectioned-off to accommodate various activities.
Natural light illuminates a rich material palette of locally sourced Algonquin limestone with oak, coloured concrete, glass, and bronze through energy efficient, high-performance glazing.
Education Commons Space
The vertically adjustable curved coatrack located in the main entrance spaces of Weston Family Learning Centre makes strategic use of the space, eliminating the need for a separate cloakroom.
Active, hands-on, and social, the new Learning Centre is the city’s on-site and on-line studio for the celebration and teaching of art. The facility accommodates approximately 80,000 students annually.
