UTM Innovative Complex Turns 10!
2024 marks 10 years since the opening of the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Innovation Complex!
A major expansion of the former Kaneff Centre, the UTM Innovation Complex provides a gateway to the campus, serving as an incubator for industry partnerships and a multifunctional hub of academic, administrative, and social activity. The focal point of this dynamic synergy is the rotunda, an open and airy circular atrium created at the heart of the building. Lined in warm-toned travertine and white oak, the light-filled rotunda is an engaging gathering place for faculty, students, and industry partners and a key venue for receptions and conferences.
In the creation of this project, a key design driver was understanding how to respond to the varying needs of student users. Although the central rotunda exists as a large and open space for group study, interaction, and dialogue, MTA also integrated many intimate alcoves into the periphery to encourage occupants to join conversation on their terms. These thoughtfully designed environments encourage interaction and the exchange of ideas, and are places where users feel welcomed and comfortable enough to accept influence from their peers.
