A new park in the heart of an emerging downtown neighbourhood, Love Park is inspired by the semiotic universality of the heart to create a meaningful symbol for the district.

The park is punctuated by a basin in the shape of a heart, surrounding a preserved catalpa tree previously hidden at the centre of the former expressway offramp. A trellis composed of a complex filigree of arcs supports wisteria vines, and a garden for dogs provides a play refuge for the neighbourhood’s canines. Love Park is designed to become a sponge that directs runoff below grade, minimizing discharges to the surrounding municipal infrastructure and providing passive irrigation for the park’s trees. A leafy veil of preserved and new trees blurs the urban backdrop, and a perimeter of small hills masks traffic on the surrounding streets. The slower park pace invites greater attention to detail and craft, from the hand-laid red tile mosaic of the pond perimeter, granite cobble of the pathways, sculpted bronze menagerie of Canadian fauna distributed like Easter eggs throughout the park, to the intricate fabrication of the trellis.

Love Park aims to be both a local community amenity and a crossroads for residents, workers, visitors and tourists. The fundamentals of a successful public realm – from sitting where you want, connection to the street, sunlight, food, water, trees, and an object of triangulation – are synchronized to inspire a space of joy and optimism, encouraging a relaxing atmosphere across all seasons.