Grace Toronto Church
Toronto, Ontario
2020 CAHP Award of Merit in the Category of Architecture-Conservation
RESTORATION | RENOVATION
RELIGIOUS | MIXED-USE
Grace Toronto involved the renovation and rehabilitation of an existing 1878 church to conserve the historic fabric while providing modernized facilities for new owners and worship requirements. The overall intent of the project was to provide new spaces within the historic fabric of the Old St. Andrew’s Church that supported the contemporary needs of a dynamic community. Design work began in early 2016 and construction was completed by November 2017.
In order to make the facility welcoming, a more intuitive, clearly identifiable circulation system and organization of spaces was required to ensure the facility felt open while also ensuring the safety of its occupants and functionality of the spaces. This began with the reorganization of the ground floor to create a bright new welcome lobby with a high amount of transparency to adjacent spaces and the park beyond. This created a more invitational entrance and improved circulation through the facility. A new elevator shaft and other barrier-free measures were introduced to make the building accessible.
In order to accommodate additional office space and children’s ministry spaces, the basement was lowered. These spaces were designed to be multifunctional, acting as offices and meeting rooms during the week, while switching to children’s ministry rooms on the weekend.
Within the main worship space, finishes were restored, and modifications were made to the seating and platform to adapt to the owner’s worship requirements. New systems including heating, air-conditioning, AV, and lighting, were replaced or introduced within the existing fabric.
