KMA architects installs BMX supercross track in toronto's centennial park

KMA architects installs BMX supercross track in toronto’s centennial park
all images courtesy of kleinfeldt mychajlowycz architects inc.

toronto-based kleinfeldt mychajlowycz architects inc. have designed and constructed the ‘BMX supercross track legacy’ for the 2015 toronto pan am games, following the standards of the union cycliste internationale (UCI) certification board and making it today the only certified track in canada to be recognized. the project is composed of a structure within a park that accommodates the park’s storage needs, two permanent start ramps for BMX supercross events, one at 10 meters and the other at five meters high, a permanent, concrete and steel screened structure, and a 517-meter, ephemeral dirt track. it is an object in a landscape and a landscape in its own right.

the structure of the start ramps is nestled within the landscape

the site of the track, which was determined prior to the design team being engaged, was quickly found to be a low point of the park and its drainage catchment area was enormous. building a dirt track on essentially a catchment area required an extensive underground drainage system, influencing structural and civil engineering interventions. these flows had to be managed to allow the track to be dry within 30 minutes of a rainfall and the water quality had to satisfy the requirements of the toronto region conservation authority because a designated wetland area lies immediately to the south of the site.

the 27-meter long board-form concrete retaining wall allows grade to gently meet the top of the start ramps 

the aesthetics of the concrete allowed the practical considerations of storage, ramp heights and retaining wall sections, enabling each one to be expressed as an architectural element within a single form. board-formed concrete, prefinished concrete block and a smooth-faced framing members all add to the distinct language of each element, at once separate and unified.

a hollow metal canopy forms a framed view from the top of the 10-meter ramp

sunlight projects through the overhead canopy casting shadows onto the platform of the 10-meter start ramp

the retaining wall allows for indoor and outdoor storage to be inserted underneath the start ramps

the ‘BMX supercross track’ is an object in a landscape and a landscape in its own right

the north elevation materials: hollow metal screens and canopies, concrete, and colored concrete block

as a legacy project, the track will be available for generations to come 

site plan

upper and lower floor plans

undulating sections of the track

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edited by: juliana neira | designboom