A group led by Toronto architects has won an international design competition to remake a performing arts centre downtown.

Hariri Pontarini Architects, with the help of four other firms, will redesign the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, the city announced on Friday. The centre houses two theatres on Front Street East.

Five other teams were shortlisted for the opportunity, two city agencies, CreateTO and TO Live, said in a news release. 

The winning design, called Transparence, features a transparent facade that will wrap around the building, incorporating elements of Indigenous design. Those elements include the exterior, which was inspired by the the role of Wampum belts in storytelling, artistry and craft, and a circular ceremonial fire at Front and Scott streets.

The idea is to make the building more open to the public, according to Siamak Hariri, founding architect of Hariri Pontarini Architects.

“That was a big part of how we started — how do we create an environment that is radically accessible, radically open, and truly brings the city in.”

Hariri brought on two Indigenous firms, Tawaw Architecture Collective and Smoke Architecture, to help develop Indigenous elements of the design. The team also includes LMN Architects and the firm SLA.

Keep reading on cbc.ca

• 
•