snøhetta: ryerson university new student learning center

‘ryerson university’s new student learning center’ by snøhetta in toronto, canada all images courtesy ryerson university, snøhetta

the design for ryerson university‘s new ‘student learning centre’ by norwegian architects snøhetta has been unveiled. located at a major intersection of downtown toronto, canada, the eight-storey facility features a distinctively individual glass skin with a surface design that will create varying light qualities for the interior. the 14,443 square meter project, a collaborative effort with zeidler partnership architects, will be a bold addition to the urban fabric, generating commercial opportunities at the street level as well as below grade.

street view of the building’s main entrance

partially supported by structural stilts, the main entrance on the south side is met by an elevated plaza off yonge street. a broken, faceted treatment marks the underside of the cantilevered volume which continues into the expansive lobby indoors. featuring a number of open, multifunctional spaces, the center aims to provide a range of environments that facilitate studying and collaboration between students, faculty and staff.

lobby

‘the student learning center will provide bright, open, technologically rich, barrier-free spaces for individual and collaborative study that will accommodate our students’ different learning styles and our faculties’ different teaching practices,’ says alan shepard, provost and vice president academic of ryerson university. ‘it will provide our students with a welcoming, accessible, digitally connected space that is ready to adapt and accommodate new technologies, developments and services.’

the new student learning center will provide access to the existing library by a bridgeway, directly integrating the building into the campus’ makeup. serving as a continuation of the school’s long-time commitment to sustainability, the facility will be LEED silver compliant with half of the roof dedicated to urban green space.

lounge

collaborative space

schematic diagram