BAYFIELD SHOPPING CENTRE EXPANSION

BAYFIELD SHOPPING CENTRE EXPANSION

The concept for this addition was to take an underutilized one-storey shopping mall and expand it into a two-storey mall complete with skylights. Anchoring the south side of the primary facade is the existing Canadian Tire store, which is to have its exterior facades refurbished, and to the north, a new four-storey parking deck, complete with a 10-storey office building above it. Placed between the two anchoring elements is a new two-storey plate glass facade, allowing the primary stores to be visible through the glass to the main street beyond (Bayfield Street). This same plate glass facade would act as the shopping mall’s primary point of entrance, which in turn would become decorated during seasonal events.

Internally, the public circulation zones are continuously capped with broad skylights, flooding the pedestrian space below with natural light. Aesthetically, the public spaces have been kept to an unusually minimal, white modern expression, to allow the individual stores to become highlighted against this neutral backdrop, similar to colourful paintings hung on white walls within an art gallery. Further, this minimalist approach to contemporary retail architecture not only keeps detailing simple and straightforward, it also achieves maximum value for every dollar spent on construction. The office program, set above the precast parking deck, will house two different educational facilities, as well as the mall’s administration offices, with the remaining office space offered out for lease.

LOCATION: Barrie, Ontario

ARCHITECT: IBI Group Architects

DESIGN LEADERSHIP: Michael Poitras,
Consultant-in-Charge

CLIENT: Fishman Holdings North America Inc.

COMPETITION: Invited design/build competition – Second Place

STATISTICS:

  • No. of storeys: 2
  • Total floor area (existing mall):
    466,060 ft2 (43,299 m2)
  • Total floor area (addition):
    767,492 ft2 (71,302 m2)
  • Total floor area (including expansion):
    1,233,552 ft2 (114,600 m2)
  • Total parking: 3,112 cars
  • Loading docks: 1 large + 2 small

MATERIALS:

  • Plate glass with structural glass fins
  • Stone
  • Brick
  • Stucco
  • Prefinished metal panels
  • Precast concrete (parking deck)

GENERAL PROGRAM:

  • No. of zones: 3 retail zones
  • Anchor tenants: Canadian Tire, Sears, Zellers

COST: $200 million