IOC/IAKS Award für beispielhafte Sport- und Freizeitanlagen 2015 | IPC/IAKS Auszeichnung für barrierefreie Sport- und Freizeitanlagen 2015

Background & Regent Park Community Revitalization Project
Located in downtown Toronto, Regent Park is Canada’s oldest and largest social housing project, built in the late 1940s. The community has historically been viewed as a transitional community for new immigrants, but due to social and physical planning ills, it has contributed to the concentration of a socially marginalized population. Forty-one percent of the population living in Regent Park is under 18, and over 70 percent of the population lives below the low-income cut-off rate.

In 2005, the Regent Park Revitalization began a 12-year program to redevelop the 69-acre community to be a vibrant mixed-use mixed-income community and one of North America’s largest urban redevelopments. The Regent Park Aquatic Centre, completed in 2012, is the key civic amenity centered on the eastern flank of the new central park development as the heart of the revitalization.

Regent Park Aquatic Centre
Regent Park Aquatic Centre has been conceived as a “Pavilion in the Park,” very open at the base, and bisected lengthwise by a “dorsal fin” of aquatic hall sky lighting. The building form was shaped to utilize its solar orientation. A large canopy to the south forms a generous public verandah at the main entrance. A low continuous window overlooking the park to the west provides views while minimizing heat gain from the afternoon sun. Replacing an existing outdoor pool, the project captures a feeling of transparency and connection to the outdoors. The aquatic centre has sliding glass doors at the main pool hall for access to the park-side terrace, as well as natural ventilation opportunities. Responding to the views from the new high-rise towers surrounding the park, the building’s Green Roof is designed as a fifth elevation integrating with the building features and park setting.

In the last three decades, Regent Park has become an immigrant settlement community. As such, the aquatic centre offers a new level of accommodation with the addition of a complete system of aquatics hall screening for those cultural groups interested in privacy swims. The adoption of this new progressive feature along with the universal change rooms, the combination of fitness, leisure, and therapeutic aquatic uses, and the open and inviting design have greatly increased interest in the city’s aquatic venues. This project typifies the design legacy commitment of the Regent Park revitalization program.

Program
Regent Park Aquatic Centre is a multi-purpose year-round indoor swimming pool facility that includes a 25-metre six-lane pool, leisure pool, tot pool, hot tub, slide, Tarzan rope, diving board, and a large multi-purpose community room.

First Singular Use of Universal Change Rooms in Canada
The aquatic centre is the first facility in Canada to adopt the singular use of universal change rooms, no longer separating males and females, rather common change rooms with private change cubicles. This establishes equality; addressing cultural and gender identity issues, while also enhancing the openness, safety, and visibility through the entire complex.