The Living Arts Centre’s Architect’s Vision: “A Place For People”

...When the Living Arts Centre, located on a six acre site north of City Hall, opened in October 1997, not only was it the first building of its type to be built anywhere in the world, it also became a landmark for the City of Mississauga. Public places define a city and give each city its unique character.

...Think of Toronto and one conjures images of Ontario Place, the Eaton Centre, Queens Quay Terminal, the National Trade Centre, The Toronto Centre for the Arts, Premiere Dance Theatre at Harbourfront Centre, Young People’s Theatre – places that define Toronto’s unique personality.

...Interestingly, all of the above-mentioned buildings were designed by the same man, architect Eberhard Zeidler of Zeidler Roberts Partnership, who also led a team of 40 architects and engineers to complete this project. This accomplished Canadian architect added another “signature” facility to his impressive list of public spaces.

“The Living Arts Centre Board had a brave vision of creating a Centre for the community in which the community could become involved. These are big issues – how do you make that work in a functional sense and in an emotional sense? We brought them together in different modes,” says architect Eberhard Zeidler. “Another challenge included integrating the facility into the rapidly expanding and existing urban environment. Joining this entertainment and shopping culture ...Mississauga City Hall - Civic Centre, the Central Library, and the Mississauga YMCA are also in the immediate area.” Zeidler explains: “We integrated into the present neighbourhood formally [meaning with structure], and with building materials.”

...Extensive use of glass, steel, and exposed concrete impart the building with a modern feeling. Zeidler commented: “We used materials in a new way and we are utilizing strong, bright colours. Creating spaces that would work separately and together posed a challenge.” Zeidler explains: “We designed the building to accommodate large groups of people both inside and outside the building. We needed space that could separate for operation [i.e. people going into all three theatres at the same time], but combine for both. We also wanted it to look engaging when people were there and when no one was there.”

Functional and structural issues aside, public places that make people feel good is, in architect Eberhard Zeidler’s view, the challenge of modern architecture: “We believe a building must fulfil the functional and economic requirements the owner intends it to serve. At the same time, it must evoke a positive emotional response from both its users and the public at large. We impress with spaces that fit with the purpose, but it is the emotional response – how people feel about the space – which cannot be overlooked.”

...When Mississauga’s newest “people-place” the Living Arts Centre opened, it provided the community with a new sense of itself.

Donor Wall

The Living Arts Centre was built with generous contributions from hundreds of corporations, community organizations, individuals, as well as support from the City of Mississauga and the federal government.

Dance of Venus

• To recognize donations to the Living Arts Centre Capital Campaign a competition was launched to create a permanent tribute to the host of benefactors.


• What resulted was a dramatic floor-to-ceiling stained glass work installation created by Stuart Reid.


• This three-storey high work of art titled, “Dance of Venus”, creates an intriguing centrepiece in the buildings main public space, the First Pro Shopping Centres Atrium.


• The corporate donations of leading contributors to our Capital Campaign were led by Hammerson Canada Inc., RBC Financial Group, Silicon Graphics, Rogers Communications Inc., First Pro Shopping Centres, and Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Ltd.


• Significant donations by these and a number of other Mississauga and regionally based corporations resulted in donor recognition within the Centre in perpetuity.


• Also referenced on the donor wall are the hundreds of businesses and individuals that contributed to the Seat Sale Campaign in all three theatres.