With the design of the Woodbine Theatre at Canada’s largest casino resort complex in Toronto, CGL Architects was charged with three objectives:
- To create a distinct architectural identity for the entertainment complex
- To reinterpret the traditional theatre box-within-a-box typology
- To create a form that would reference the Canadian landscape
In addition to its many performance and installation benefits, the architects selected Noroc architectural insulated panels in triangular and trapezoidal shapes and pitched them at tilted angles, presenting as an irregular prism for the 5,000-seat multi-purpose theatre.
The IMPs, finished with a champagne metallic bronze, are overlaid with a decorative mesh activating the facade into a dynamic surface as sunlight and shadows shift throughout the day. The mesh introduces textural depth enhancing the visual richness to the façade.
Another layer is the strategically placed light fixtures between the mesh and IMP layers at the seams. This emphasizes the 3D geometry, and in locations where the light grazes the mesh, it transforms the outer skin into a luminous veil.
“Together, the IMPs and mesh make the building appear different at different scales,” relates Jeffrey Jean, design director, associate, CGL Architects, Toronto. “From afar it appears as an organic, angular cantilevered volume, with a striking silhouette. Viewed closely, its tessellated, veiled surface gives it a lighter, more porous appearance.”
The unique shape and dynamic appearance fulfills another owner request that the building serve as a dramatic focal point, with a strong visual identity, and function as a gateway to the site.
For the other two objectives, tying the design into the Canadian landscape and refreshing the box-in-a-box theatre design approach, Jean’s team chose the geological formation of a Geode resembling those formed deep within the Canadian Shield.
“The idea of a geode, a hollow rock formation with a rough, tough outer shell enclosing an inner cavity lined with mineral crystals, is meshed neatly with the box within a box typology, and provided a formal and material strategy for the building shell and interior design as well,” explains Jean. “The resultant volume is sculptural, facetted, tessellated and monolithic, hopefully evocative of a geode, which appears rugged and solid from a distance.”
The interior box of the theatre is made from insulated, filled concrete block and large structural steel members, and the outer box walls are comprised of the IMPs and glazing. This outside box creates lobby areas and pre-function event space.
As for why CGL Architects selected IMPs for this theatre expansion to the Woodbine casino complex, Jean shares a long list of reasons:
- As a fully integrated building component providing optimal performance with fire resistance, insulation, acoustical isolation and interior /exterior finishing, this reduced the need for separate layers, materials and trades, together with their associated costs and logistical complexity.
- Separate waterproofing, insulation, and interior / exterior cladding subcontractors were not needed, making cost savings from material labor intrinsic to the system.
- Since the panels could be manufactured at extremely large dimensions, fewer construction joints were needed and the speed of enclosure was faster, allowing the interior fit out to occur sooner and with less labor.
- Long spans minimized secondary structural framing, resulting in fewer joints and penetrations that would need waterproofing and sealing details, reducing costs associated with materials and labor.
- With high R-values, the operational costs for heating and cooling the building are reduced.
- As a prefabricated system, quality control occurs at the point of manufacture, so performance failures are reduced.
- To a large extent, the IMPs allowed for the complex geometry of the building to be possible in terms of simplicity of construction and budget.
In addition, the IMPs high R-value meets Ontario Building Code and the Toronto Green Standard thermal performance and energy efficiency standards. Furthermore, the Code’s classification of the project as an assembly occupancy meant that a non-combustible, fire-rated envelope was required. The fire-resistant 6-inch-thcik mineral wool core, made from natural basalt rock fibre and recycled slag, met this need.
Yet another feature is the mineral wool’s high level of acoustical insulation, which helps buffer external noise emanating from adjacent buildings and aircraft at Pearson International Airport. Naturally, professional acoustics are essential for a performance venue.
“We contemplated other envelope options, such as curtain wall and conventional metal cladding, but as built up systems, they could not provide the multiple technical features, performance levels, and efficiencies that the IMPs provided as a singular element,” he says.
Fabrication and Erection
Due to the panel’s unusually large sizes, as long as 45 feet, a continuous line manufacturing process involved the lamination of long metal coils, insulation and waterproofing components, allowing for the extremely long rolls. While this necessitated special transport and installation provisions, the longer panels required fewer joints, thereby minimizing the possibility of air and water penetration.
That said, larger than normal flat-bed trucks were required to transport the panels. Installed by Bothwell Accurate, the panel’s large size, complex shape and tilting orientations required custom rigging solutions and precise sequencing to ensure they were in place.
“The clips and standoffs were aligned with the IMP modules, and the mesh sizes were coordinated with the width of the panels to ensure that there were no bolts or anchors penetrating the IMP itself, which would compromise the envelope. Like a puzzle, the panels also had to be installed in a specific sequence so that the adjoining angled pieces could precisely align,” adds Jean.
One other unique requirement was special sealant and finishing details for the meeting points, seams, and edges to maintain continuity of the air and moisture barriers at the intersections of each module.
Though the IMPs were so large, their relatively lightweight still made them easier to handle and erect as compared to traditional multilayered wall assemblies which require multiple trades over multiple timeframes, he notes.
The theatre now joins the site’s entertainment complex with dining venues, two hotels and recreational amenities.
