Honorable Mention: International Architecture Awards 2024
Scott Street Interlocking Signal Tower Generator | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 2023

Architects: RDH Architects Inc. (RDHA)
Lead Architect: Tyler Sharp
General Contractor: Black & McDonald Limited
Client: Metrolinx
Photographers: Tom Arban

For this new metrolinx infrastructure project the architects were commissioned to design the structure and enclosure for a new generator building that services union station. The project is located immediately adjacent to the historic scott interlocking street signal tower, and replaces an existing generator that has come to the end of its life and will be de-commissioned. The scott interlocking street signal tower was designed in 1930 for the canadian pacific railway (c.p.r.) by john wilson orrock, the chief engineer of buildings. This tower is one of three signal towers built in toronto for the c.p.r. during the same era, the cherry street, scott street and john street interlocking signal towers.

As such, this building has been treated as a significant piece of heritage infrastructure. The new addition attempts to respect this historic building and bring a similar level of design attention to what are often overlooked but highly essentially pieces of hidden engineering and infrastructure in the city. The conceptual approach for this project uses a process of carefully analyzing the existing architecture to help guide and inform our positions regarding building scale, form, facade articulation, and attention to detail. Found geometry and scale impact the size and shape of this small building with the aspiration of creating a highly functional piece of infrastructural architecture comprised of: a generator, a structural system, and a naturally ventilating skin that reflects the image of the existing building in terms of perception, footprint and facade composition.