Conceptual Sketch of a multipurpose dance theatre, Image by Irina Rouby Apelbaum
Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) feasibility study
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Type: Feasibility, Community, Performing Arts
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Client: Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS)
Partners: Two Row Architects, Parcel, DVDL, Renata Soutter (Dance accessibility consultant), ERA
Status: Completed
“Are we represented, or do we belong? Is there a space for our voices to be heard too? [For] challenging the idea of, what is ballet? What is dance? Or the community? Who’s in our community?”
As part of a major strategic planning initiative, we led the Campus Optimization Project Feasibility Study for Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) following a competitive selection process in summer 2024. Located in downtown Toronto, NBS’ campus sits at the intersection of dense urban residential development and key cultural districts. SOCA collaborated with a team of consultants to explore how the campus could evolve to better serve NBS’ core priorities: deepening on-campus belonging, expanding participation, addressing the city-wide demand for dance spaces, achieving financial sustainability, and meeting high standards for accessibility and environmental performance. The study began with comprehensive engagement and functional programming exercises, establishing spatial needs across academic, residential, and public functions.
The team developed and tested a range of redevelopment scenarios, culminating in a preferred design direction supported by detailed drawings, planning analysis, and pro forma evaluations. These options were grounded in a layered understanding of zoning, heritage, Indigenous stewardship, and urban design opportunities across the Jarvis and Maitland properties. A vision emerged for a reimagined campus that not only amplifies NBS’ leadership in dance training but also positions the institution as a more inclusive, community-anchored cultural hub. The design framework emphasizes modularity, transparency, and openness—integrating multi-use rehearsal and performance spaces, student housing, and public amenities. Sustainability and reciprocity are central to the plan, weaving together ecological awareness, cultural resilience, and a people-first approach to institutional growth.
