CANADIAN ARCHITECT 02/19
40
THE FIRST GOOD YEAR
The Bentway, Toronto, Ontario Public Work TEXT Stefan Novakovic PHOTOS Nic Lehoux, unless otherwise noted PROJECT
DESIGNER
A NEW KIND OF URBAN PARK, THE BENTWAY REPURPOSES THE AREA UNDER TORONTO’S GARDINER EXPRESSWAY. THE STRING OF OUTDOOR ROOMS BRINGS MUCH-NEEDED BREATHING SPACE TO THE CORE.
It’s early December. From Fort York, the skyline unfolds in blurry outlines and dim lights behind a thick afternoon fog. The temperature hovers around zero—it’s one of those anonymous wintery days that descend on Toronto anywhere from October to April—and parts of downtown still seem asleep. But underneath the Gardiner Expressway, ice is being formed into a snaking 250-metre track; something is stirring. Two weeks later, The Bentway skate trail opens for its second season, bringing fresh crowds to an outdoor gathering area that has been popu-