The Sidney Smith Southside Café situated in Sidney Smith Hall on the University of Toronto St-George Campus has served students for many years as an eatery and gathering space. The 6500 SF space with 25’ ceilings, known formerly as the ‘hangar’ accommodates seating for 250 students.
Renovations were made to accommodate a request for better food choices and a more comfortable as well as functional space. As a construction project this meant revising servery equipment layouts as well reviewing lighting conditions and the architectural quality of the space.
Existing problems included obstructed views and disorienting, and unclear circulation as well as outdated millwork. Our design approach was to provide a simple and cohesive space to eliminate visual barriers and obstructions and provide a variety of student use spaces. Comfort was addressed with attractive materials, and brighter lighting as well as through the articulation of the space into different areas of use: Café, Lounge and Hub. New partitions act as functional objects such as , seating, fireplace, or signage, which integrate the use areas with the overall space.