Responsive to nature and local culture, these community centers help growing cities maintain their identities

The remedy is rooted in smart, sensitive design that’s responsive to context. And where better to invest in meaningful architecture than in a public project?

“We’re growing fast, and we wanted to create something that will help define and reinforce the area’s character over time,” says Raj Seth, commissioner of corporate services for Mississauga, a large South Ontario municipality. “We want buildings that will be timeless and iconic.” 

Here we tour three communities in the greater Toronto area that have recently built new civic hubs, examining how they serve their residents’ needs for exercise, social connection, learning, and recreation while remaining anchored in their unique place.   

Multi-Use Recreation Complex (MURC)
Town of Georgina, Ontario

Georgina has long been a popular weekend and vacation destination, with quaint neighborhoods and 52 miles of lake shoreline just an hour north of Toronto. “Georgina was seen as ‘cottage country’ for a number of years,” says Margaret Quirk, Georgina’s mayor. “We have campgrounds, beaches, marinas, you name it. Our town has long served as a unique and special place for communities to gather and connect.” 

The design of the new Multi-Use Recreation Complex, nicknamed the MURC, resembles three tents around a campfire. The aluminum-clad exteriors of these three pavilions recall the metal sheds and boathouses that dot the nearby farms and lakeshore. A floor-to-ceiling fireplace anchors the central lobby. “It’s designed to evoke memories of a campsite, or the fire pits that cottagers have in their backyards,” Quirk says. “It’s a gathering place.” In addition to informal meetings and conversations, the lobby can accommodate markets, movie nights, and community celebrations. 

The MURC’s natural light, comfortable furnishings, and wood finishes reflect Georgina’s natural landscape and traditions, Quirk says. “When you walk into the MURC, you feel like you’re coming home.” 

Miskin Law Community Complex 
Peterborough, Ontario

The Peterborough Exhibition, which was held in Morrow Park for a few days every year for more than a century, was a cherished event in this mid-size municipality about 75 miles northeast of Toronto. As the city’s population swells to nearly 90,000, this park was chosen as the location of the new Miskin Law Community Complex with the aim of bringing that sense of excitement and unity to the park every day of the year.  

“It’s a substantial site, and it’s been used for many years as a gathering place,” says Gillian Barnes, the city’s director of facilities and property management, who also notes the park’s prominent location along a major roadway. “There’s a long history there, and we want to celebrate it.”

The design of the exterior reflects interior activity areas. Walls in a distinctive orange that recalls the spirt of past exhibition pavilions welcome visitors into the building’s heart, their curving corners echoing the shape of the track and ice rinks. The library, multipurpose rooms, lobby, and administrative functions are housed in prismatic white volumes, and the entire complex is framed by a dramatic, overhanging roof.

The result is much more than a typical twin-pad arena. “It’s been a long time since we’ve built a civic building,” Barnes says. “But we’re growing rapidly, and we needed a place where people could come together. Everyone knew this had to be something special. We knew it needed to be bold.”

South Common Community Centre and Library  
Mississauga, Ontario

With a population of more than 700,000 and 43 city-owned sports and recreation venues, the Toronto suburb of Mississauga is committed to enhancing residents’ health and reinforcing a feeling of community. When city leaders were presented with the rare opportunity to replace an aging community center, they wanted to optimize its unique site and integrate it with mass transit.

The former center was surrounded by a massive parking lot, making it feel disconnected and underutilized despite its adjacency to a city-owned wooded area.

“The woodlot is a unique amenity that helped inform the position of the building on the site,” says Anna Cascioli, director of Facilities Planning and Development. “We knew this feature would play a critical role in how the building and amenities were planned.”

The new building transitions visitors from urban realms—a parking lot and drop-off plaza—through a gallery, library, gym, and aquatics center to outdoor settings at the building’s sides and rear. Outdoor amenities include a picnic area, a reading garden, a splash pad, tennis courts, and paths through the woodlot.