Tyler Chui

Nia Centre for the Arts

The ASC 520 studio integration was to design a performing Arts Centre for the company NIA located in Toronto’s Little Jamaica community. NIA is an organization for the appreciation of arts across the African Diaspora and is a hub for the community that showcases art and provides youth mentorship programs and workshops. To create a neighborhood hub, the proposal responds to the surrounding infrastructure with creating storefronts that undulate along the façade. This allows for variety and human scale when walking along Oakwood Ave. To activate the North intersection, the proposal’s roof reaches into the outdoor public space as a canopy with the sense of enclosure and security while still being outdoors.