LGA creates light wells for metal-clad Toronto park pavilion
Local studio LGA Architectural Partners has clad a bell-shaped pavilion in aluminium and included skylights that bring light into the centre of the structure, set in a public park in a dense residential area of Toronto, Ontario.
The Belle is a 120-square metre (1,290-square foot) flexible pavilion in the half-acre Mabelle Park that opened in the fall of 2025 in Toronto's Etobicoke district.
A collaboration with nonprofit arts organisation Mabelle Arts, the design aims to be as "artistic and whimsical as the spirit of the organisation," LGA Architectural Partners told Dezeen.
The park is surrounded by seven slab-style towers with highly diverse residents in a rapidly densified low-income neighbourhood.
"The Belle is designed to assert a bold, playful presence," LGA said, explaining that the form's peaked roofs serve as a community beacon that is visible from the balconies of the surrounding apartments.
"With three articulated, asymmetrical sides, the building shifts in expression from every angle, changing with the site and landscape."
The Belle is composed of two offset rectangular rooms, which can be opened into one large space or divided for various programming needs. Each is topped with a symmetrical pyramidal roof form.
The peaks of the roofs have been sheared off to create square skylights, from which light washes down the vaulted ceilings into the community space.
An accordion glass wall opens the interior to a large covered porch for airflow or community events. Meanwhile, the design offers moments of discovery for the community – like an exuberant floral mosaic by Afghan Canadian artist Shaheer Zazai located in the bathroom.
"The Belle is a living, breathing building," the studio said. "Even when it is not in use, its sculptural and shimmering form expresses community care and pride."
The exterior aluminium tile cladding accommodates the building's various angles. Its iridescence is welcoming and simultaneously robust and graffiti-proof.
Meanwhile, the muted interior palette serves as a backdrop for the arts programming.
"A custom perimeter lighting system from off-the-shelf materials casts light up and down, with an even glow across the entire floor plate," the studio said, explaining that the simple solution keeps the ceiling free of fixtures and the walls clear for sunlight and shadows throughout the day.
"We were inspired by the Mabelle Avenue community and how they come together to celebrate their culture, even without a dedicated public space," the LGA team said.
"What's extraordinary about this project is how we worked with the neighbours through arts-based programs to realise a place that could serve their needs, inspire new activities and boldly express their resilience and creativity."
Founded in 1989 by Janna Levitt and Dean Goodman, the 35-person team at LGA has previously completed a trapezoidal wood and cement home for an art curator and her personal collection, transformed a 1930s waterworks warehouse into a residential community for youth experiencing homelessness, and most recently, designed an emergency shelter for Indigenous women who are survivors of domestic abuse – all in Toronto.
The photography and videography are by Younes Bouhar / doublespace photography.
Project credits:
Architecture and interior design: LGA Architectural Partners
Client: Mabelle Arts
Landscape: Shift Landscape Architecture
Structural: Blackwell Engineering
Mechanical/electrical/plumbing: RDZ Engineering
Civil: MGM Consulting
Contractor: Desar Construction Studio
Lighting: Marcel Dion
The post LGA creates light wells for metal-clad Toronto park pavilion appeared first on Dezeen.
