Toronto, Canada

The Union Pearson Express connecting Pearson Airport with Downtown Toronto aims to reinvent public transport in North America. With a comfortable, seamless, and holistic design, the UP express links to local, suburban traffic hubs, creating new connections and sparking new developments within Toronto’s expanding public transport network. The stations were designed by various local offices working in a diverse set of project organizations. Yet, the goal was to achieve a unified image. Hosoya Schaefer was asked by Winkreative to develop a design for all stations as well as a coherent architectural language and to coordinate it with the architects already commissioned.

The design of the main stations at Pearson Airport, the suburban stations at Weston and Bloor and at Union Station follows a consistent experience relating to local, natural materials. Floating wooden ceiling sculptures create a unified sense of place and zones of comfort across all stations. Architectural thresholds mark transitions to the surroundings and provide orientation in time and space. The Architectural Design Manual describes the overarching architectural concepts as well as all design features for the stations, providing precise input for local designers and all brand-related interfaces.