With the coming of autumn, we’d like to give a nod to one of the public spaces we enjoyed most this summer. Revitalized in 2017, Toronto’s Grange Park has really come into its own – 180 mature trees, colourful gardens, public art, seating areas, and accessible pathways combine to create a versatile setting for taking a stroll or relaxing with a book. The park is a special, thoughtfully designed place, and we wanted to create a series of customized identification and donor signs that add to its distinct character.
The park’s location is framed by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and OCAD University’s iconic Sharpe Centre for Design; fittingly, themes of art-making and creativity run through the park, which was designed by PFS Studio: the world-famous Large Two Forms by Henry Moore serves as a centre piece, while quotations by Canadian artists inscribed in the Stephanie Street entrance pathway encourage contemplation. More boisterous areas – namely the children’s play equipment – mimics paint cans, palettes and crumpled paper.
For the signage, custom illustrations contribute playfully to the theme of creativity. Simultaneously, minimalist forms, colour, and typography combine with classic materials of honed leathered granite and stainless steel to align with the dignity of the art and the adjacent AGO, as well as with the site’s heritage elements. What is now Grange Park used to be the front lawn of the Grange, a historic Georgian manor built in 1817, now a part of the AGO. The carriage path leading to the front door of the Grange remains a heritage feature in the park today.
Grange Park is jointly funded by the AGO, the City of Toronto, the Weston Family Foundation, and several community groups. The fountain recognizes the Weston Family Foundation’s contribution, which supported the revitalization and continues to ensure the park’s ongoing beauty.
Find out more about Grange Park here.
Photography: Lisa Logan