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At Lee Lifeson Art Park public artworks encourage visitors to interact with sound in playful ways

A new park in Willowdale (located northeast of the corner of Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue) salutes Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, two members of Rush who grew up in the  neighbourhood. Designed by the Planning Partnership, the Lee Lifeson Art Park, with its stepped-stone amphitheatre, honours the rockers by hitting all the right notes. The park’s design merges architecture, art, and music to celebrate the duo’s remarkable legacy. In addition to the amphitheater, the park also features artworks created by Public Studio and sound artist Anna Friz. Among the standout pieces are two sculptures shaped like megaphones, which serve to amplify the voices of those who stand within them, creating an interactive experience for visitors. 

Lee Lifeson Art Park

Lee Lifeson Art Park – 45 Princess Ave, North York

 

These megaphones reflect the band’s own sound-focused legacy, symbolizing the power of music and the voices of their fans. The park’s integration of sound-based art pieces adds a sensory dimension that complements its visual elements. The park is located at 45 Princess Ave, North York, and is sure to be a popular destination for fans of Rush, as well as for locals who want to enjoy a beautiful and unique outdoor space. The Paul Raff-designed Limelight Bandshell, a visual and spatial exploration of acoustics and reflection, is also located in the Lee Lifeson Art Park.

Paul Raff Studio Limelight Bandshell North York Sound Garden Lee Lifeson Park Toronto
Paul Raff Studio Limelight Bandshell North York Sound Garden Lee Lifeson Park Toronto

Limelight Bandshell by architect Paul Raff

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And a win for children in the war against fun

To write about urbanism in Toronto is to live in a constant state of disappointment. It’s not that good things never happen here. It’s just that, too often, our big-ticket urban projects fail to live up to the hype. We get promised a radical new addition to the public realm—a bold initiative to reimagine civic life—and we end up with a condo complex or an outdoor mall. A starchitect gets hired to re-design our most storied museum, and he makes such a hash of things that, fifteen years later, we find ourselves paying to undo his work.

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