Designed by Michael Hough (landscape architecture) and Eberhard Zeidler (architecture), and opened to the public in 1971, Ontario place stands as a vital marker of modernist design, professing design values of publicity and openness. However, despite its value as a critical modernist icon, the future of Ontario Place is under threat.
The research compiled within this website documents the value, history, and ongoing presence of Michael Hough’s landscape design on the site, demonstrating that approximately 40% of original planted trees remain, alongside significant remaining materials and design elements.
These features support the preservation of Ontario Place as a cultural heritage site: in the face of development plans, Michael Hough’s original vision for the landscape must be considered and respected, continuing the legacy of public space that Ontario Place has possessed since its inception.
A special thanks to the supporters & contributors of this study:
Professor Emeritus George Baird
(University of Toronto)
This study was made possible by a generous donation made by Professor George Baird
Professor Alissa North
(University of Toronto)
Primary Researcher, Landscape Architecture
Professor Danijela Puric-Mladenovic
(University of Toronto)
Primary Researcher, Forestry
Professor Brendan Stewart
(University of Guelph)
Consultation
Matt Arnott
(Bachelor of Arts: Architectural Studies, University of Toronto)
Research Assistant
Anne Field
(Bachelor of Arts: Architectural Studies, University of Toronto)
Research Assistant
Diana Pop
(Bachelor of Arts: Architectural Studies, University of Toronto)
Research Assistant
Ozyka Videlia
(Bachelor of Arts: Architectural Studies, University of Toronto)
Research Assistant
Sylvia Jorge
(Master of Forest Conservation, University of Toronto)
Research Assistant
Lucas Udvarnoky
(Master of Forest Conservation, University of Toronto)
Research Assistant
Data Collection Team:
Ahmad Nazari, Catherine Muir, Catherine (Jiaxin) Yan, Christie So, Cristina Elchyson, Dustin Wilson, Ellen Clark, Emiley Switzer-Martell, Emma Pothion, Everett DeJong, Georgia Sa, Jennifer (Qian) Wan, May Chiang, Ria Bassoulos, Steven Shuttle, Tianyu Cai, Tim Edwards.
