Toronto Film Studios plans to create a huge new film studio in the industrial area off the coast of Lake Ontario, the largest on the continent, except for similar complexes in California. Since the production of films in Canada is much cheaper than in the United States, the owners of the company hope to lure producers and directors from Hollywood to Toronto.
So far, the master plan of the new studio has been developed, as well as the project of a multifunctional complex, which will be a kind of gateway to the ensemble. Its author was Will Alsop, who gained popularity in Canada with his Sharpe Design Center building, raised above the ground on multi-colored "stilts".
The new 11-storey structure, called Filimport, will welcome studio visitors with a bright red façade covered with Corten steel panels. The choice of material should remind of cargo ships, since construction will be carried out on the former territory of the city port. If the main facade resembles a wind-blown sail, then the fully glazed rear facade of the building will, on the contrary, be curved inward. At its foot there will be a small "bubble" three stories high, also made of glass, where the restaurant and atrium will be located. In general, the first floor of the building will be a public space with a buffet, cafes, shops, a kindergarten and a spa and fitness center. It will also house the offices of Toronto Film Studios' managing staff.
The second floor of Filimport will be occupied by a reception hall for 2000 people and an indoor cinema. On the top nine floors, there will be offices of unions and guilds of film professionals, offices, editing rooms and a film school. Construction should begin in spring 2008.
Concurrently with the completion of the Filimport project, Will Alsop won an international competition to design a new building for the London Primary School. Michael Faraday. A modern educational complex that combines teaching for children and for adults, will replace a dilapidated building from the 1970s as part of an overall reconstruction project for the Sauzark area.
