Schulich School of Business and Executive Learning Centre,
York University
Toronto, Ontario
Hariri Pontarini Architects / Robbie/Young + Wright Architects

Variety of volumes suits future executives

© Steven Evans

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Situated at the entrance of the York University Campus, the new 340,000-square-foot Schulich School of Business and Executive Learning Centre establishes a village-like complex that houses the business school and a 60-guest suite conference center for visiting executives. Hariri Pontarini sought to create a gateway building that would reflect and enhance the institution’s status as a top-tier international business school.

During the design process, the architect shadowed students and faculty members in order to gain a full understanding of their patterns and requirements. The challenge was to accommodate the school’s comprehensive program, while maintaining a sense of intimacy, coherency, and logical orientation. Schulich’s architectural vocabulary is based on quality, craftsmanship, and natural materials. Eighteen facades are clad in a continuous, undulating ribbon of cut limestone, glass, and heavy-gauge copper details. The interiors retain a consistency with the exteriors through a similar material palette and extensive transparency.

The complex incorporates a rational plan, punctuated by what the architect describes as “inspired spaces for the delight of users.” These spaces include a cloistered promenade around a landscaped courtyard, an airy dining room with adjacent lounges, a fireplace reading room in the library, and a soaring atrium that provides the main public meeting and gathering forum. Three distinct courtyards orient users and create a more intimate scale within the complex. An abundance of greenery provides an oasis of calm and an ideal environment for convocation ceremonies and year-end celebrations. Oversized glass doors and windows provide green views and access out from every angle, as well as glimpses into the lively layers of the building.

The building’s curved corners break down the monolithic quality of volumes while its four wings, which pick up the curvature of two adjacent roadways, separate functions programmatically and thematically. Active zones are closest to the central public atrium, and facilitate interaction, energy, and activity; calmer areas, such as the library and private offices, are located in the extremities. The material selection supports these distinctions. In lively zones, robust, hard materials such as stone and concrete reverberate the excitement of an urban center; the more serene areas employ soft materials such as warm lighting fixtures, carpeted flooring, acoustic wood paneling, and soft seating.

Formal name of Project:
Schulich School of Business and Executive Learning Centre, York University

Location:
Toronto, Ontario

Gross square footage:
340,000 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$110 Million

Owner:
York University
www.yorku.ca

Architects:
Hariri Pontarini Architects
245 Davenport Road, Third Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5R 1K1
416-929-4901 tel.
416-929-6924 fax
www.hariripontarini.com

Robbie/Young + Wright Architects
172 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5R 2M7
416-928-1496 tel.
416-928-1913 fax