Metrolinx, in partnership with Infrastructure Ontario, is transforming Cooksville GO Station into a modern transit hub with enhanced station access and transit infrastructure in Cooksville, ON.
Challenge
Transforming Cooksville GO Station into a transit hub required balancing passenger movement, multimodal connections, and future growth within a constrained urban site. The design needed to integrate a large parking structure while minimizing its impact on residential neighborhoods.
Solution
Working with WalterFedy, the Architect of Record, we provided architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, passenger flow, and parking facility design services, along with compliance review, to create an integrated transit hub environment. The six-storey, 1,900-space parking structure is wrapped in a sculptural veil of expanded aluminum mesh, layered with stainless-steel mesh and tension cable barriers to provide natural light and ventilation, screen vehicle headlights, and create a distinctive architectural expression.
Outcome
The design creates an urban landmark and defines the edge of a new public plaza, responding to both present development and anticipated future residential and commercial densification. The final design was shaped through an extensive Joint Design Review Panel (JDRP) process involving Metrolinx’s Design Excellence Panel and the City of Mississauga’s planning team, helping ensure the transit hub responds effectively to both user needs and the surrounding urban context.
A layered façade of aluminum and steel mesh with cable barriers maximizes daylight and ventilation while limiting light spill into neighbouring homes.
The facility integrates a new station, bus loop, pedestrian tunnels, rail platforms, commuter parking structure, and civic plaza into a single transit hub.
Photo Credit: doublespace photography ©
Metrolinx, an agency of the Government of Ontario, in partnership with Infrastructure Ontario, identified a need to transform Cooksville GO Station into an efficient, modern transit hub, making it easier for customers to access the station and GO Transit services. NORR provided detailed architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, passenger flow and garage facility design, as well as compliance review services, working in collaboration with WalterFedy, the Architect of Record.
NORR managed the design of the transit hub through an extensive review process by the Joint Design Review Panel (JDRP) comprised of members from Metrolinx Design Excellence panel and the City of Mississauga Urban Planning. The design services encompassed the development of the Reference Concept Design package and detailed output specification (PSOS) schedules for a public-private partnerships (P3) delivery model. The facility features a new station and pavilion waiting area, upgraded pedestrian tunnels and rail platforms, a bus loop, kiss & ride, a large civic plaza and a 1900 commuter parking structure with pedestrian bridge access to rail platforms.
The design concept for the six-story parking structure features a layered envelope strategy to overcome the mundane nature of the typical parking structure as well as to provide a shield from car headlights for the surrounding residential development. The precast structure is wrapped by a sculptural veil of expanded aluminum mesh which is inflected and fractured by the vehicle entry points, the glazed vertical circulation towers and pedestrian bridge connection to the rail platforms. This larger folding texture of the facade is complemented by a finer texture of vertical slot openings that provides visual interest at the pedestrian level and from surrounding buildings as well as views from within the structure. Inside the sculptural veil resides an additional inner skin of woven stainless-steel mesh that serves as a guard for pedestrians, while a tension cable system serves as a car barrier. This multi-layered system serves to maximize the level of natural light and air entering the building while at the same time mitigating light spillage onto neighboring residential properties. The result is a dynamic facade treatment that both obscures and reveals an otherwise typical parking structure and the vehicular circulation within it.
The design creates an urban landmark and defines the edge of a new public plaza responding to both present development as well as anticipated future residential and commercial densification.
Photo Credit: doublespace photography©
