A steeply-sloped RHEINZINK-clad roof is the architectural focal point of an open-air pavilion at the new Trillium Park and William G. Davis Trail at Ontario Place in Toronto. The opening of the park and waterfront trail marks the first milestone of the province’s plan to revitalize and transform the iconic landmark into a vibrant, year-round attraction. Ontario Place originally opened in 1971 as a waterfront destination but closed in 2012 as the number of visitors dwindled and the province struggled with budget issues.
The pavilion is a popular gathering spot on the 1.3 kilometer trail which connects the park to the Trans Canada Trail which stretches for more than 2,000 kilometers. With peaks and valleys reflective of the silhouette created by Ontario’s spruce and pine forests, the roofline of the pavilion forms a dramatic sculptural element.
Approximately 600 square meters of RHEINZINK prePATINA blue-grey Double Lock Standing Seam Panels clad the four sections of the steep roof. The panels were fabricated by RHEINZINK distributor Agway Metals, Brampton, ON and identified as Agway’s AR-38 concealed fastener system. The 0.8mm AR-38 panels included RHEINZINK’s ProRoofing factory-applied backside coating. The coating reduces backside corrosion arising from design, construction and workmanship defects. ProRoofing is frequently used for standing seam and interlocking tile roofing applications.
The panels were installed by Semple Gooder Roofing Corporation, Toronto. “The steep pitch of the roof as well as some complicated intersections of panels was definitely a challenge,” said Peter Sjourwerman, manager of Semple Gooder’s architectural cladding division. “But we’ve been working with zinc for more than 20 years and can pretty much fabricate anything. For example, we custom fabricated a radius ridge cap with concealed fasteners for the pavilion in our shop made all of the custom flashings on-site.”
Sjourwerman is a great believer in zinc as a long-lasting material. “It may last more than 100 years but it definitely needs to be installed properly,” he said. “Our team was led by Superintendent Kevin Gibb and sheet metal foreman Peter Frew. The guys did an outstanding job.”
Design for Trillium Park was led by LANDinc Landscape Architects in consortium with a diverse multidisciplinary team including West 8 and Blackwell Engineers. The opening of the park was the result of a three year design consultation process which included public workshops and consultations in a more-than-two-year construction process. The high-profile project was managed by Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry sponsor was the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
“The pavilion sits at the end of a performance lawn as an object in space that is meant to create some curiosity and wonder and be a potential meeting place for small events and gatherings,” said Patrick Morello, Principal of LANDinc. “No material other than zinc was considered for the roof of the pavilion. We sought out zinc for its naturally weathering patina, which will develop over time. We specifically chose the prePATINA blue-grey RHEINZINK to encourage this process.” said Bruce Gilchrist, project manager and designer with LANDinc.
The design also includes the use of heavy timber to reflect the industrial connections to natural materials at the turn of the 19th century. An ongoing challenge was to sustain an open gathering space within the pavilion amid the wind forces imposed on the roof faces from Lake Ontario. “LANDinc architect-of-record Christopher Wallace explored numerous structural options to achieve a limited number of columns that connect to footings embedded in bedrock,” Gilchrist said. “Due to the intersecting roof forms created by Adriaan Geuze of West 8, the greatest challenge was coordinating the work of each trade at the connection points. A virtual and physical 3D printed model was constructed by LANDinc and further evaluated to assist in the fabrication of each material section on the structure.”
Construction of the Pavilion and Washroom building was done by A-Con Construction Limited working under general contractor Urbacon Buildings Groups Corporation.
About AGWAY Metals
With over 40 years in the industry, AGWAY Metals Inc. has grown to become a trusted leader in metal building envelope products and services. As a RHEINZINK distributor, Agway Metals can provide RHEINZINK roll-formed products, custom fabricated panels, coils or flats.To learn more, visit www.agwaymetals.com.