From Concrete
to Sanctuary

The story of Love Park begins with a reclamation. For decades, the site at 96 Queens Quay West was dominated by the York-Bay-Yonge Gardiner Expressway off-ramp—a massive concrete structure that funneled traffic into the downtown core. In 2016, the ramp was removed, leaving behind a 2-acre vacancy that Waterfront Toronto saw as an opportunity to create something truly transformative.

The heart-shaped pond, seen from above

A Vision for Stillness

In 2018, an international design competition was launched. The winning design came from the late Claude Cormier of CCxA (formerly Claude Cormier + Associés), in collaboration with Toronto’s gh3*. Cormier’s vision was a "deliberate departure" from the hard, gridded surfaces of the city. He wanted a space of simplicity and grandeur—a "pinch of whimsy" in a forest of glass towers.

"Skylines of sameness are mushrooming around the world. Love Park is a deliberate effort to break from the grid."

The Heart’s Meaning

The central heart-shaped pond is more than just a symbol. Aligned to true North, it serves as a universal gesture of welcome. The red glass mosaic tiles that ring the pond—spanning 160 meters—are a direct reference to the mosaics of Antoni Gaudí’s Park Güell in Barcelona.

For Cormier, the heart also held a deeper, more somber resonance. The design was finalized in the wake of the 2018 Toronto van attack. He wanted to create a space that could serve as a "balm" for the city—a place of collective healing and quiet resilience.

Botanical Legacy

The park preserves existing mature trees while adding 38 new ones, including Ginkgo, Dawn Redwood, Linden, and the iconic Northern Catalpa that sits on its own island. The wisteria-covered trellis, designed by gh3*, adds a layer of romantic service journalism to the landscape, creating a fragrant canopy that will only grow more lush with time.