GXN Transforms Toronto Construction Waste into Pop-Up Public Space
A collaborative effort involving GXN, Ha/f Climate Design, AKT II, and Arcana Materials has led to the creation of the Waterfront Neighbourhood Space on Ookwemin Minising island in Toronto. This temporary installation, which opens on July 4, 2026, utilizes salvaged materials such as bricks, concrete blocks, utility infrastructure, milk crates, and timber to form benches and communal areas. The team analyzed Toronto's salvage stream to identify material uses and implemented a 'stacked-and-strapped' method for non-destructive disassembly. Aimed at returning materials to circulation, this project challenges conventional waste perceptions by treating old structures as valuable resources. Situated within the 39.6-hectare Ookwemin Minising development, it will be available until late fall. Photography by Andrew Williamson captures the initiative.
Key facts
- The Waterfront Neighbourhood Space is located on Ookwemin Minising island in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- The project was developed by GXN, Ha/f Climate Design, AKT II, and Arcana Materials.
- It opened on July 4, 2026, and will remain through late fall.
- Materials include early 20th-century bricks from a demolished church and houses in the Annex, concrete masonry units, concrete cores, manhole covers, and salvaged timber.
- The installation uses a stacked-and-strapped system, with components bolted together for non-destructive disassembly.
- The project is part of the 39.6-hectare Ookwemin Minising development, near Biidaasige Park and wetlands.
- Photography is by Andrew Williamson.
- The installation is designed to be temporary, with materials returning to circulation after closure.
Entities
Artists
- Andrew Williamson
Institutions
- GXN
- Ha/f Climate Design
- AKT II
- Arcana Materials
- Waterfront Neighbourhood Space
- designboom
Locations
- Toronto
- Ontario
- Canada
- Ookwemin Minising
- Annex