Ryerson University has unveiled the design concept for the new Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre. This bold new venture, designed by internationally-acclaimed, Toronto-based Diamond and Schmitt Architects, is intended to place the University amongst the top international centres for photography and related disciplines. It also heralds the transformation of Gould Street with a dramatic glass building open and accessible to the community and the public, right in the heart of the Ryerson campus.

The 1,860 square metre Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre is part of an expansion and redesign of the existing School of Image Arts building at 122 Bond Street. The focal point of the renovated ground floor is the new public gallery, which will house and display the University’s world-renowned Black Star Historical Black & White Photography Collection, as well as the many collections in the School’s Mira Godard Study Centre. An additional new 1,200 square metres of study, teaching and academic space will be built by maximizing the available footprint of the building, creating light-filled study and communal gathering places for students, and expanded space for faculty and staff.

"This striking new facility will provide an outstanding learning environment for our students, and is a significant step forward in Ryerson’s growth as a centre for scholarship, graduate studies, and research and creative activity," said University President Sheldon Levy. "The Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre will become a national centre for photography, attracting visitors from the city, the country and all over the world. And we’re proud that the open, accessible design is a step forward in transforming Gould Street into a people-centred, pedestrian gathering place. This truly is ‘the University as city builder’, which we declared as a goal in 2006."

The School of Image Arts building will be re-clad in glass. A new extended colonnade will signal the Gallery entrance overlooking Lake Devo, one of the most popular public spaces on campus. The ground floor will include a café to attract students and passersby, and a new transparent entrance to the facility.

"We have designed a Photography Gallery and Research Centre for Ryerson University which will undoubtedly be a shining star in the city's cultural firmament," said Donald Schmitt, principal-in-charge, Diamond and Schmitt Architects.

Ryerson’s Black Star Historical Black & White Photography Collection is considered the most significant cultural contribution ever made to a Canadian university. The gift was accompanied by a $7 million financial contribution, which will be put towards construction of the Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre. In addition, Ryerson will launch a fundraising campaign to seek a naming donor for the facility, and to solicit support for other elements of the project such as exhibits and programs.

The Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre will be the first University building under construction since the launch of Ryerson’s Master Plan, a flexible framework for growth and revitalization of the campus, and a catalyst for renewal of the surrounding downtown neighbourhood. The building design reflects the major themes of the Master Plan: intensification, making efficient use of small and valuable urban properties; ‘people first,’ with a focus on creating a pedestrian-friendly campus including open green spaces and informal meeting places; and design excellence, a commitment to new and inspirational academic and student spaces.