The University of Toronto has revealed the design for the Temerty Building, a 36,000m2 addition to its Medical Sciences Building at the centre of the St. George campus in Toronto. Designed by MVRDV and Diamond Schmitt Architects in collaboration with Two Row Architect, the project replaces the existing 1969 west wing.
Located opposite Convocation Hall, the building forms part of a key gateway to Front Campus. Its massing and curved edges respond to the surrounding historic context, while introducing a contemporary research facility intended to serve both the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Cell & Systems Biology.
Ground floor: open civic and academic interface
At ground level, the building opens towards King’s College Circle with a large communal hall, conceived as a shared space for students, researchers and the wider university community. The triple-height volume draws from the spatial logic of Haudenosaunee longhouses, creating a setting that supports both everyday use and ceremonial functions.
Flexible planning allows this level to shift between studio learning environments and larger event configurations, including use during graduation ceremonies. Dedicated areas for Elders and Knowledge Keepers are integrated into the south-west corner, alongside an outdoor Indigenous teaching garden that extends the building’s engagement with the landscape.
Research-led programme organised across flexible laboratory floors
Approximately 60% of the building’s total area is allocated to research functions, reflecting its role as a primary scientific facility. The upper levels accommodate laboratories organised into three zones: wet labs, dry labs and shared social spaces intended to support interaction between research teams.
The arrangement is designed to bring together different disciplines within a single environment, supporting collaboration across fields such as infectious disease research and aquatic disease modelling. Circulation routes connect directly to the existing Medical Sciences Building, creating continuous loops and improving access to natural light within internal corridors.
Façade and form respond to campus context and local geology
The building’s exterior combines glass and sandstone, with a vertically articulated façade that aligns with the Gothic influences found around King’s College Circle. Softly curved corners echo the colonnades of nearby Convocation Hall, reinforcing visual continuity across the campus.
The overall form draws on the escarpment landscapes characteristic of the Toronto region, translating geological references into a stepped and sculpted profile. Transparency is prioritised at lower levels, particularly around communal areas, allowing internal activity to remain visible from the public realm.
Interior spaces prioritise daylight, movement and shared use
Inside, the building introduces a series of open, light-filled spaces designed to support both focused work and informal interaction. Large glazed areas bring daylight deep into the interiors, while structural elements are expressed to maintain spatial clarity.
The layout balances individual study, group collaboration and circulation, with flexible zones that can adapt to changing academic and research needs over time. These shared areas are intended to function as connective spaces across departments, rather than being tied to specific programmes.
Building integrates energy infrastructure as part of campus-wide system
Beyond its academic role, the Temerty Building incorporates energy infrastructure that extends beyond its footprint. A district energy nodal plant located at basement level will provide heating and cooling to surrounding campus buildings, contributing to the university’s target of becoming climate-positive by 2050.
The project also includes on-site renewable energy generation, forming part of a broader strategy to integrate environmental performance into both the building and the wider campus network. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2026, with preparatory work on the existing structure scheduled earlier in the year.
