Toronto Montessori School Previous Library
Granite Ridge Education Centre
Sir William Gage
/ Library
Priscilla Ladouceur / Hossack & Associates Architects
“You can see right through the library. It’s bright and open and, as a passerby, you’d think, ‘Oh, that looks like a nice building to learn in.’ But it’s not outlandish and doesn’t look wasteful or expensive because it has simple lines.”
– Trustee Kathy McDonald, Brampton Wards 3 and 4.
Students calmed and focused with views to nature
The library plays a vital role from the outside, sheathing the long corner of the school facing onto busy Queen Street in glass and dark masonry . From the street, the two-storey, two-toned glass gives a sense of transparency and openness, and the dark masonry adds a layering effect for visual interest.
From the inside, the library’s curtain glass wall brings in natural light on two sides, while the one-storey partial brick wall shields students from distractions on the busy street.
The library’s exterior wall that does not face Queen Street is composed solely of window panes, intersected by steel girders, and offers a view of a mature tree that the architects worked hard to save during construction.
Inside, the library benefits from hanging acoustic panels, fabric panels on the walls and carpeting on the floor that absorb sound and make it an oasis for calm study and discussion.
Photos
