Call for Public Art at Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex

Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex
Public Art Competition

City of Kitchener is building a new multi-purpose recreation facility and seeking expressions of interest to install a public art commission on site.

We invite artists or artist teams to apply for consideration by a project jury in the Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex (KIRC) public art competition. This is the first stage of a two-stage competition. The submission deadline is Monday, November 4, 2024.

The call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) is open to established artists or artist teams with experience creating public art projects. The jury will give preference to submissions from diverse backgrounds and origins, specifically Black, Indigenous and racialized individuals, 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, and people with disabilities or disabled people. To support the City’s efforts to create inclusive spaces and improve representation in its public art collection, proposals from artists or teams that represent other equity-deserving groups can also self-identify.

Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex

KIRC will serve hundreds of thousands of residents and support a greater diversity of sports and physical activities with these exciting new amenities:

• a FIFA-sized turf fieldhouse for soccer, cricket, lacrosse and other sports, plus a cricket batting cage
• an aquatics centre with a community leisure pool, a separate lane pool and viewing galleries
• an elevated walking track around the turf field
• multi-purpose space for community events, family parties or other rentals

KIRC will be located at RBJ Schlegel Park, where existing outdoor amenities include two soccer fields, a multi-purpose turf field, a cricket pitch, four outdoor courts, a splash pad and other activity areas. KIRC will be one of Canada’s most sustainable recreation facilities, featuring a geothermal heating and cooling system and solar panel array that will annually reduce 22 tonnes of carbon and save $100,000 in utility costs.

The KIRC design aims to balance grandeur with approachability, featuring flowing canopies and curved exteriors, careful orchestration of natural light and inclusion of natural wood tones, plus green roofs and pollinator gardens. The landscape design is influenced by the role of water in sustaining life and its connections to land, humans and wildlife. Through its vision and realization, KIRC will celebrate recreation, diversity and sustainability.

Artwork Locations and Site Considerations

Public artworks could be sited at three KIRC locations. EOIs should propose ideas for one or more identified sites. We cannot accommodate artworks proposed for other areas of the facility or park spaces.

KIRC north entrance exterior with location one indicated by a red cuboid.

Location 1: Ground-mounted outside the KIRC north entrance
An approximate 10m by 4m area within a landscaped island could accommodate an artwork with a maximum height of 5m from the ground. This location would be subject to east-facing exposure and potentially dominant winds. Artwork proposed for this area will need to consider 24-7 durability against wanted and unwanted interaction.

Main lobby interior with location two indicated by a red cuboid.

Location 2: Suspended above KIRC main lobby inside west entrance
An approximate 7.3m by 4.3m area could accommodate an artwork suspended from the curved wood ceiling. The ceiling height in this location ranges from 6.4m to 7.2m, and artwork would be limited to hanging no lower than 3m above the finished floor. Up to 16 anchor points could be accommodated with a maximum hanging weight of 300kg per anchor.

The lobby will include cross-laminated spruce-panelled walls and a slatted oak ceiling. This crucial visitor reception area will have high visibility, impact and facility user activity.

KIRC north entrance interior with location three indicated by a red cuboid.

Location 3: Suspended above KIRC interior north entrance area
An approximate 4.3m by 4m area could accommodate another suspended artwork. The ceiling height in this location is 10.5m. Artwork would be limited to hanging no lower than 3m above the finished floor, with a maximum weight of 300kg per anchor and the number and location of anchors to be determined.

The space is centred above an interconnected opening that highlights the north entrance and is flanked by both the main reception and a concessions counter. At the mezzanine level, this artwork would be surrounded by north- and east-facing glass, allowing partial visibility from the exterior park spaces.

Compensation

The commission available in the KIRC public art competition is $300,000. This amount must cover:

• artist design or production fees, including design, engineering or production subcontractors
• material, fabrication, transportation and installation costs
• studio and storage costs
• insurance and legal fees
• documentation (photography, spec sheet and maintenance schedule prep, etc.)
• artist or team travel expenses and meeting time

Selection Process

Public art for KIRC will be selected through a two-stage competition administered by the City of Kitchener.

Stage one:

• call for expressions of interest from artists or teams
• jury selects artists or teams to be invited to stage two

Stage two:

• short-listed artists or teams must prepare detailed concept drawings and/or maquettes, accompanied by a presentation of their proposal to the jury
• up to five EOIs short-listed by the jury will be paid $1,200 per selected artist or team. Stage two proponents may be required to meet with the KIRC development team to review technical questions or considerations.

The jury’s final recommendation proceeds to the City’s Public Art Working Group and ACAC for support before being reported to city council for final approval. Once approved, we will prepare a contract with the artist or team, who must carry third-party liability insurance for two million dollars and, if applicable, provide a GST/HST number.

An optional information session will happen Thursday, September 12, 2024, at Kitchener City Hall’s Conestoga Room.

Expressions of Interest are due online or by mail or in-person delivery at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 4, 2024. We will not consider incomplete or late submissions.

Submit your EOI through the Open Call Posting, where you can also read about eligibility, submission, review and collaborative requirements; jury composition and evaluation criteria; selection and construction schedule; land acknowledgement and other site considerations.

Questions? Please email project coordinator Eric Rumble or call 519-741-2200, ext. 7424.