Toronto City Hall's Podium Green Roof
is now officially open!
TORONTO, May
29 /CNW/ - Today, Mayor David Miller, together with Deputy Mayor Joe
Pantalone (Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina) and Councillor Kyle Rae (Ward 27
Toronto Centre-Rosedale) officially opened the City Hall Podium Green Roof
on the first day of Doors Open Toronto 2010.
To
commemorate the official opening, the event attended by thousands of
visitors featured live bands, busker entertainment and a poetic reading
from the City of Toronto Poet Laureate, Dionne Brand. The event was emceed
by celebrity gardener and author, Marjorie Harris, and included remarks by
Scott Mullin, Chair of the City's Nathan Phillips Square Revitalization
Public Advisory Group.
"I'm
tremendously pleased that we have been able to re-open and re-invent the
podium for public use," said Mayor David Miller. "The landscaped
gardens, a courtyard framing the Council Chamber, a podium terrace and new
walkways and furnishings are a spectacular testament to Torontonians'
passion for green spaces and their commitment to environmental
sustainability."
"This
is a proud day in the history of City Hall," said Deputy Mayor Joe
Pantalone. "We now have a new park for walks, talks and escapes in
the middle of downtown Toronto. Not only is this place a park, but it also
helps to reduce our carbon footprint, and it's just stunning."
Additional
environmental benefits of the new green roof on City Hall include a
reduction in stormwater runoff, improvements in thermal and sound
insulation at City Hall, improvements in air quality and reduction in the
building's contribution to the urban heat island effect and its associated
cooling costs, and an increased lifespan of the roof's membrane by
reducing thermal contraction and expansion.
"Toronto
City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square continue to inspire and captivate the
world with unique and modern design, and green architecture," said
Councillor Kyle Rae. "People who work nearby can escape during lunch
on the podium green roof and take in unique views of the city. We are very
fortunate to live in a city that preserves its heritage and improves its
environment."
Approximately
3,250 square metres (35,000 square feet) of concrete on the podium roof
has been transformed into living vegetation to reduce the building's
environmental impact and for residents and visitors to enjoy all year
'round.
The podium
roof was planted using a pre-vegetated, modular green roof system. Modular
systems are essentially trays of vegetation in a growing medium, which are
grown off-site and seamlessly installed on rooftops. A diversity of plant
species, grown regionally, has been selected for the City Hall podium roof
for their seasonal colour and ability to withstand difficult rooftop
conditions.
"As an
avid gardener, I am proud to be a green enthusiast living in
Toronto," said Marjorie Harris. "Today is an amazing day and it
has been an honour to be part of the City Hall podium green roof's
official opening."
"As the
poet laureate, I know that words help us to recover the beauty of the
planet," said Dionne Brand. "I am happy to be part of that
communal vision so wonderfully realised by this magnificent new rooftop
garden."
The City
Hall Podium Green Roof continues to be featured as part of Doors Open
weekend on May 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The
'greening' of the City Hall Podium Roof is the first completed component
of the City's Nathan Phillips Square Revitalization project, which will
reinvigorate Nathan Phillips Square to restore its beauty and dignity,
preserve and enhance its unique heritage qualities and reintroduce it as a
more functional and environmentally sustainable public meeting place. The
revitalization project will be complete in 2012.
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