Toronto architectural and design studio RAW has been commissioned to design an addition to the Aurora Cultural Centre. The new 32,000-square-foot facility is part of the Ontario town’s Library Square development.
The new addition will accommodate a 250-seat black-box Performance Hall that is designed with variable acoustics and retractable seating, which allows the room to transform into a diverse event space. The Performance Hall can alternate into concerts, banquets, conferences, a performing arts theatre, dramatic arts performances, and film screenings.
The creative facility will also house a dance studio and visual arts studio, both with partitions to provide versatility to the programs, while the lowest level will be home to the Town’s Archives.
The design includes a triple-height skylit atrium and a metal veil that will develop a warm patina as it ages. The addition integrates the original location of the cultural centre in Aurora’s Church Street School. The 1886 heritage building began its life as the Aurora Public School and its extension reads as a contemporary complement to the historic structure.
Due to commence construction in 2020, the Museum and Cultural Centre addition aims to create a fully accessible venue that generates valuable indoor and outdoor space for programming.