Toronto studio, Frontier, has designed an award-winning wayfinding system for the new Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, partnering with a diverse development team led by Ellis Don and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The new courthouse is Renzo Piano’s first building in Canada.

Signage regulations within courthouse buildings are strict and detailed. With that in mind, Frontier was mindful to align their ideation to those regulations, seeking out creative solutions within those constraints. The result is an intricate hierarchical system that integrates with the interior’s custom wall panels and complements the minimalist architecture of the courthouse. Working with simple tools like water jet-cut aluminum, laser-cut acrylic, and addictive tactile printing, the system devises a straightforward aesthetic that begins with the building’s frontage and continues through every room along one’s journey.

The most narrative moment of the system is the atrium’s History Wall, which showcases a curated selection of historic images from the surrounding neighbourhood, from pre-colonial Indigenous activity through to the many diverse populations that have called this site home.

“A complex graphical project, nicely done,”

said Piero Lissoni, Founder and Design Principal, Lissoni & Partners, and AZ Awards 2024 Juror.