Located on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, Kinsmen Park serves as a hub of civic life for Saskatoon and a place to experience the natural environment within an urban context. The Kinsmen Park Train Station and Park Plan, developed in collaboration with space2place in 2011, sets the framework to guide detailed design of the park over the next 25 years. The design brief for this project was unusual: to design an architecturally significant miniature train station, fully integrated with a broader park master plan. Starting with the client’s vision of providing play spaces for all ages, the design team developed a solution that provided open access, varied architectural experiences, and structured playfulness.
The design solution involves three main elements: a series of coloured piers which form a dynamic screen as the train moves by, a long wall which anchors the adjacent plaza, and a unifying roof element for shelter from the elements. The roof and wall assemblies are constructed from prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber Panels, which are durable, beautiful, and suited to the short construction season of a cold climate.
Client: City of Saskatoon Location: Kinsmen Park, Saskatoon, SK Completion: 2015 Team: Local Practice + Siemens Koopman Architects + Oxbow Architecture (Architects in Association), space2place (Landscape Architect and Prime Consultant), Associated Engineering (Structural Engineer), Public Design and Communication (Donor Recognition Strategy and Detailed Design) PWA Engineering (Electrical Engineer)
