St. Michael’s Cathedral Block Master Plan
- Location Toronto, Ontario
- Client Archdiocese of Toronto
- Architects KPMB Architects
- Completion 2015
- Size 112,000 ft² / 10,400 m²
- Project type Planning & Urban Design, Education, Community, Civic & Government, Education, Mixed-Use
Evolving a historic Catholic campus for contemporary life
Since 1848, St. Michael’s Cathedral has been the principal seat of the Catholic Church in Toronto. More than 150 years after it was constructed, KPMB collaborated with the Archdiocese of Toronto, under the guidance of Cardinal Thomas Collins, to develop a master plan for the phased evolution of the properties around the Cathedral.
The St. Michael’s Cathedral Block Master Plan translates key ambitions of the Archdiocese’s strategic roadmap, known as the “Pastoral Plan,” into built form. Establishing an adaptable framework for growth, the master plan aims to extend the site’s role as the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural locus of Catholic life in Toronto.
The planning process entailed rigorously analyzing the site’s urban and heritage fabric and devising strategies to address the diverse community’s needs, engage the public, and maximize development potential — all while respecting the Cathedral’s rich architectural history.
Consolidating the Choir School
The St. Michael’s Choir School was founded in 1937 to enhance liturgical music in local parishes, while its academic program now operates under the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
Currently, the school is spread across four aging buildings spanning both sides of Bond Street. Consolidating the Choir School into a single home on the west side is a vital first step: a centralized facility will not only modernize the educational experience but also unlock the future development of sites to the east.
A new hub for parish operations and outreach
On the vacated east site, the plan proposes the St. Michael’s Centre: a new hub for social outreach, events, performances, parish operations, training, and education. The design incorporates an existing heritage building into an expanded footprint with a rectilinear addition.
Deferring to the site’s heritage, the contemporary architectural additions are set back from the existing red-brick façades, with material palettes that relate to the historic streetscape.
A new public piazza
The master plan defines a new public piazza between the Cathedral, Parish Centre, Choir School, and Rectory. Designed for both communal gathering and quiet contemplation, this landscape extends defining qualities of the site, including its unique pedestrian scale and sense of urban calm within the busy downtown core.
Identifying future development opportunities
A mixed-use development is proposed for the block’s northwest corner, set apart from the centre of Archdiocese activities. Comprised of a retail and office podium and a residential tower, the project will generate revenue and introduce new housing to the city core.
