An almost windowless former brewery warehouse that has housed Ryerson’s School of Image Arts for 50 years has been radically transformed. Occupying an increasingly prominent intersection as the campus expands, the building has become a centre of photographic research, exhibition and preservation of international stature that integrates seamlessly with the school’s activities.
A luminous façade encircles all four sides of the old building. The double-skin glass cladding conceals an LED lighting system at the upper levels. By day, the opaque glass surface provides a seamless white backdrop to bustling campus life and contrasts the centre’s transparent glazing at ground level. At night, a dynamic display of multi-coloured lights glows in separate panels or in unison transforming the building into a vibrant programmable light installation.
The revitalized building now animates the adjacent public square and pedestrian-only street and is a powerful symbol in the University’s desire to engage more directly with the city.
