Green Art Barns

“Hard Hat Concert”

Steps from Toronto’s scenic Wychwood Park, this historic site is going through a massive retrofit in terms of concept, design and function…the long-awaited construction has begun!

This is a recording of colleagues warming up for our ‘Hard Hat Concert’ that took place recently in the concrete shell of the RCM’s new Koerner Concert Hall — I am coordinating recording material in the Green Arts Barns, but in the meantime, this music should convey the creative energy behind this particularly innovative renovation!

www.torontoartscape.on.ca/barns

PROJECT IN DEVELOPMENT
THE GREEN ARTS BARNS
AT THE FORMER TTC WYCHWOOD BARNS

The Green Arts Barns is the redevelopment of the former TTC streetcar repair barns located at Wychwood and Benson Avenues into an arts and environmental convergence centre for the local community.

The Green Arts Barns is an imaginative new capital project by Artscape that will set a standard for community centres in Toronto. In addition to being a place for the Hillcrest community to meet, the Green Arts Barns will be an arts and environmental convergence centre. The Green Arts Barns will provide affordable accommodation for artists and their families; affordable work studios to artists; programming and office space for 13 not-for-profit arts and environmental organizations; and a community gallery, programmable event space and sustainable food education centre for the local community and the
public.

Artscape was selected by the City of Toronto to re-develop and manage the former TTC streetcar barns as a multi-tenant community centre. Artscape is responsible for re-developing four of the five streetcar barns, including The Studio Barn, The Covered Street Barn, The Community Barn and The Green Barn. The project will employ green technology and encompass the arts, access to healthy food and affordable housing, and will be a showcase of heritage preservation.

The Barns will be a dynamic community-driven space and a home for experimentation and innovation where new ideas flourish. It will be a place where people from all walks of life will come together to make their community a better place to live, work and play. Historically, many publicly-owned community, recreation and arts centres have been developed and operated at significant government expense. By contrast, Artscape has extensive experience in developing a range of properties in various forms of partnership with the City and other levels of government that are capable of operating on a cost-recovery basis without requiring ongoing grants to support building operating costs.

For further information on the Green Arts Barns please contact: Elizabeth Dalgleish at 416-392-1038 x29 or elizabeth@torontoartscape.on.ca

If you are an artist interested in space at the Green Arts Barns please conact Kelly Rintoul, Manager of Tenant Services at 416-392-1038, ext. 27 or kelly@torontoartscape.on.ca

Project Conceived and Developed by
Artscape in consultation with the local community

Lead Consultant and Architect
Joe Lobko Architect Inc.

Building Owner
City of Toronto

Size
57,000 square feet

Units
26 live/work studios
15 work only studios
12 non-profit programming and office space for arts and environmental organizations
Rehearsal Hall/Workshop space
Greenhouse and educational centre

Development and Operating Partners
The Stop Community Food Centre
Blackwell-Bowick Partnership Ltd.
Stantec Consulting Ltd.
The Planning Partnership
ERA Architects Inc.
BA Group

FIND OUT MORE
Click on the links on the left to find out more about The Green Arts Barns