Iconic Site was created as a response to the situation of many cities, where massive waves of new developments have changed the face of our urban environment.

Using iconography and typography of signs found on North American roadsides, Iconic Site has been re-imagined for this new context in The Bentway, a new public space that transforms the underside of Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway into a new gathering place. Here, in the dense heart of Toronto, where a two-decade long development boom has radically transformed both the cityscape and the lexicon used to describe it, the work takes on new relevance.

Positioned atop a hill at The Bentway’s newly opened Strachan Gate, the work reflects equally on the changing nature of the surrounding communities and the ambitions of The Bentway project itself, which has transformed one of Toronto’s most significant landscapes into a new shared public space for the growing city. It is here that we recognize each signature city project is part of a larger continuum of change, remaking a site “iconic” time and time again.

Part of The Bentway’s Fall Art Exhibition If, But, What If?

The Bentway is a member of the High Line Network, an international network of projects that transform underutilized infrastructure into new urban landscapes.