The four finalists for the Nathan Phillips Square redesign have been chosen and their designs are now on display in the Rotunda of City Hall at 100 Queen Street West. You can see them and make comments until February 26th, 2007. Information on the competition, the display and the finalists are available on the City of Toronto's website Nathan Phillips Square Design Competition. On the city website there are brief descriptions of the plans on the selected pictures in their Online Exhibition.

The Design by Plant Architects features a glass entry Pavillion at the lower right of this picture facing Queen St. near Bay St. It is the entrance to facillities for cyclists. (click the photo to go to the web site with the larger photo.)

The online displays did not have a lot of detail so I went down to see the displays last friday to see if bikes had been incorporated into the designs. I was pleased to find that two of the designs had incorporated bike facilities, the designs by Plant Architect Inc., referred to as design A and the designs by Baird Sampson Neurt Architects, referred to as Design C.

The one that stood out to me was The Plant Architect Design. Bikes were front and centre, literally. The design features a Glass Entry Pavilion just off the corner of Queen and Bay. The pictures of the pavilion on the displays at city hall show a tall glass structure with three oversize bikes hanging from the ceiling and visible from the street. This structure would serve as an entrance to the square but also as the entrance to a full featured bike station as well as to the underground parking. The text on the display board explained there would be underground parking for 110 bikes along with bike rental services, a repair shop and change rooms. Putting the bike station near the street would make it easily accessible for cyclists. The Plant Architects Inc. design was also unique in that it featured a permanant stage that would replace the temporary stages that are used for events such as Bike Week. This would make the square much more functional for these type of events.

The Baird Sampson Neurt Architects design also featured sheltered bike parking but it situated it halfway back into the square on the west side meaning you would have to walk your bike through the square to get access to it and during events that could prove difficult.

I looked at the designs of the other two finalists Zeidler Partnership Architects - Design B and Rogers Marvel Architects - Design D and did not see any mention of bicycle facilities.

There is still time to make comments before the final design is chosen. You can go and see them at City Hall and fill out comment cards or you can do it online at the following page: Nathan Phillips Square Competition Comment Card. Comments must be received on or before February 26th, 2007.

City Hall is the perfect location for Toronto's first full featured bike station. It would serve residents and visitors to the city by locating a bike transportation hub right in the heart of downtown. Get your comments in to ensure that bicycle facilities are a major part of the Nathan Phillips Square Redesign.