The design of two new subway stations for Ontario Line at King/Bathurst and Queen/Spadina has reached the half-way mark, according to engineering consulting group COWI, and will shortly move on to the construction documentation phase.
Scandinavian architecture firm, Arkitema, a part of COWI Group, has supported COWI’s North American team with its in-depth knowledge of design excellence, metro station design and passenger experience. When designing the stations Arkitema has taken a holistic approach to create clean, sleek contemporary layouts with meticulous attention to detail, aesthetics and a welcoming atmosphere.
“This is an exciting project for our North American team. With the Ontario Line, the balance has been to translate the project requirements into the quality that we prioritize over in Denmark: simple, rational, and aesthetic solutions with inviting, open, and friendly spaces, creating simple, intuitive pathways. Our goal was to create modern layouts with a strong focus on enhancing the passenger experience,” said Thomas Dahlgren, president, COWI North America.
COWI was awarded the design and engineering contract for its first major subway project in late 2021 by Ontario Transit Group, a joint venture between Ferrovial Construction and Vinci Construction. The team is responsible for the detailed design of two new underground stations – King/Bathurst and Queen/Spadina, located in downtown Toronto. The new stations will be situated within a 10-minute walking distance for around 50,000 local residents and will create vital connections between popular transport routes.
The new Ontario Line is a 15.6-kilometre rapid transit line – the largest single expansion in Toronto’s subway history – which will connect Exhibition Place to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East, with 15 fully accessible stations and more than 40 new connections to GO train lines and existing subway, streetcar, and bus lines. It will run along the existing rail corridor in Riverside and Leslieville.
Featured image: (Metrolinx and HDR)
