Liza's Garden, on the rooftop at the Royal Ontario Museum
Designed by PLANT Architect Inc., a green-roof garden in the heart of Toronto supports the sustainability of a beloved museum while creating a picture-perfect view from the ROM’s fine-dining destination, c5 Restaurant Lounge
By Jenny Andrews
Photo by: Courtesy PLANT Architect Inc.
Named for Elizabeth Samuel, a prominent benefactor of the Royal Ontario Museum located in downtown Toronto, Liza’s Garden is a 9,500-square-foot green-roof garden created by PLANT Architect Inc., situated on top of the ROM’s 1914 wing.
Get more ideas for a rooftop garden.
Photo by: Courtesy Royal Ontario Museum
Completed in 2008, Liza’s Garden isn’t accessible to visitors, but instead serves as a canvas framed by windows in the ROM’s upscale restaurant, c5.
Photo by: Courtesy Royal Ontario Museum
PLANT designed the garden with a tapestry of colored gravel and textural plants including sedums and ornamental onions. The garden is intended to appear lush, despite its soil depth of less than 3 inches. For height, PLANT included a few well-placed trees in 24-inch-deep, sunken containers.
Photo by: Courtesy PLANT Architect Inc.
The green roof’s storm-water retention, reduction of the heat-island-effect and wildlife habitat also contribute to the ROM’s commitment to sustainability. The University of Toronto has even entered into a partnership with the ROM for a multiyear study of the garden’s flora and fauna, which will benefit future rooftop green spaces in the city.
Photo by: Courtesy Royal Ontario Museum
PLANT used recycled colored glass, in three shades of blue and clear, for both form and function. Presented in a series of triangles, the glass-gravel element creates a graphic pattern and visual topography on the flat roof, and as it catches the light it is reminiscent of pools of sparkling water. The glass is also lighter in weight than soil and reflects heat.
Photo by: Jon Whittle
Perched at the pinnacle of ROM’s most recent addition, the Lee-Chin Crystal designed by Daniel Libeskind, is c5 Restaurant Lounge, with an award-winning interior by II BY IV Design that reflects the modernity of the exterior architecture.
Photo by: Jon Whittle
Intimate dining nooks overlook the urban landscape of Toronto, a city enamored with its green spaces.
Photo by: Jon Whittle
Diners at c5 have a perfect view not only of Liza’s Garden but also the city’s dramatic skyline.
Photo by: Jon Whittle
The restaurant prides itself on its use of local ingredients, and its interpretation of the international makeup of Toronto. Shown here is asparagus salad.
Photo by: Jon Whittle
Presiding over the cuisine of c5 is executive chef Ted Corrado, a star player in the Toronto restaurant scene.
Photo by: Jon Whittle
Chef Corrado’s new twist on strawberry pie, with white chocolate mousse.
