General Motors Centre

Oshawa, ON
Construction Cost: $35.5 million (Canadian)
Occupancy Date: November 2006

The General Motors Centre is a civic focal point, rejuvenating the east end of downtown Oshawa and serving as a catalyst for new business development. The curved main-entrance facade and plaza welcome patrons, who also are treated to views of an oval-shaped outdoor skating rink in the winter and a pool and fountain in the summer.

The building contains a 5,500-seat multipurpose spectator arena and a 250-seat community ice pad. The continuous open concourse allows visibility from all around the seating bowl and houses concessions facilities. A 4,600-square-foot hall of fame also doubles as a gathering space during special events.

The interior maintains the exterior brick colors of ocher and terracotta. This earth-tone palette — plus muted light-cream tiles, charcoal insets in the main lobby and beige epoxy-coated concourse floors — complement the rich burgundy of the seating bowl and concessions areas.

The streamlined exterior architecture, a play of strong masonry planes divided by glass, blends into the context of adjacent historical buildings, and the lit frosted-glass tower attached to the plaza entrance provides high visibility.