KPMB is a Canadian architecture firm founded by Bruce Kuwabara, Thomas Payne, Marianne McKenna, and Shirley Blumberg, in 1987. It is headquartered in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, where the majority of their work is found. Aside from designing buildings, the firm also works in interior design. KPMB Architects was officially renamed from Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects to KPMB Architects on February 12, 2013.

Firm history

KPMB Architects’ four founding partners were former associates of Barton Myers Associates, until Myers permanently relocated his practice to his Los Angeles office. Kuwabara, Payne, McKenna and Blumberg stayed in Toronto and formed their own studio. Thomas Payne left the firm to start a multidisciplinary architectural studio in 2013.

Early works

KPMB's early projects were completed in association with Barton Myers, including Woodsworth College at the University of Toronto (1991) and the Art Gallery of Ontario Stage III Expansion (1992). Early on in the practice, KPMB won two major competitions: Kitchener City Hall and the Joseph S. Stauffer Library, the new central library for Queen's University in Kingston, ON.

KPMB and Toronto

Many of KPMB's projects are found in their home town of Toronto. Early projects involved retrofits and infill projects juxtaposed with existing structures, including King James Place (1991) on Toronto's King Street East and the Design Exchange (1994), a retrofit of Toronto's former

Stock Exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for ...

building into an exhibition space for design. In the 21st century KPMB completed a number of cultural facilities that contribute to what is known as the "Toronto Cultural Renaissance": Roy Thomson Hall Enhancement (2002) home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada's National Ballet School (2005) with Goldsmith Borgal Architects, the Gardiner Museum (2006), Young Centre for the Performing Arts (2006), TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning at the Royal Conservatory (2009), and the TIFF Bell Lightbox (2010) a permanent home for the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

Work outside of Toronto and Canada

KPMB has a diverse portfolio of work across Canada, the United States and Europe. Canadian projects include Le Quartier Concordia at Concordia University, the Remai Modern public art museum in Saskatchewan, and the LEED Platinum Headquarters Manitoba Hydro Place in Winnipeg, which some consider North America's most complex energy-efficient buildings in one of its most challenging climates. In 2022, KPMB Architects was named as the lead designer for the

United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (UCC; ) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholic Church in Canada. The United Chu ...

's Kindred Works project, to transform underutilized United Church properties, including Toronto's St. Luke's United Church, into multi-unit residential buildings housing 34,000 people over 15 years. American projects include the Walgreen Drama Center for the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, Sprague Memorial Hall for

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. KPMB's current work includes projects for Princeton University, Orchestra Hall for the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Major projects

Canada

* Kitchener City Hall, Kitchener, Ontario, 1993 * Design Exchange, Toronto, Ontario, 1994 * Royal Conservatory, Ettore Mazzoleni Hall,

, Ontario, 1997 * Stratford Festival Theatre Renewal, Stratford, Ontario, 1993 * McKee Public School, North York, Ontario, 1998 * Richmond City Hall, Richmond,

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, 2000 * Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, 2001 * Ravine House, Toronto, Ontario, 2002 * Roy Thomson Hall, Enhancement, Toronto, Ontario, 2002 * St. Andrew's College, Aurora, Ontario, 2003 * McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, 2003 * James Stewart Centre for Mathematics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, 2003 * Centennial College Applied Research and Innovation Centre, Toronto, Ontario, 2004 * Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, 2005 * Canada's National Ballet School, Project Grand Jeté, Toronto, Ontario, 2005 * Le Quartier Concordia University, Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts, Montreal, Quebec, 2005 * Woodbridge Offices, Toronto, Ontario, 2005 * 180 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, 2006 * Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Ontario, 2006 * Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Ontario, 2006 * Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) Master Plan, Toronto, Ontario, 2007 * CTV Television Network Executive Offices, Toronto, Ontario, 2008 * Nota Bene Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario, 2008 * Torys LLP, Toronto, Ontario, 2008 * One Bedford Residential Development, Toronto, Ontario, 2009 * Branksome Hall Master Plan Update, Toronto, Ontario, 2009 * Block 24 E, Railway Lands West – Neo & Montage Condominiums, Toronto, Ontario, 2009 * Manitoba Hydro Place,

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, 2009 * Royal Conservatory TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, 2009 * Le Quartier Concordia University, John Molson School of Business, Montreal, Quebec, 2009 * Canadian Museum of Nature,

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, Ontario, 2010 * TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto, Ontario, 2010 * Rosedale Clubhouse, Enhancement Feasibility Study, Toronto, Ontario, 2010 * Le Quartier Concordia University, Guy-Métro Building Recladding, Montreal, Quebec, 2011 * Maple Leaf Square, Bremner Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, 2011 * The Power Plant Gallery, Refresh, Toronto, Ontario, 2011 * Gluskin Sheff & Asscoaites, Toronto, Ontario, 2011 * Vaughan City Hall, Vaughan, Ontario, 2011 * Centre for International Governance Innovation Campus, Waterloo, Ontario, 2011 * Southcore Financial Centre, PricewaterhouseCoopers Tower, Toronto, Ontario, 2011 * Torys LLP,

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, 2012 * Roy Thomson Hall, Wine Bar, Toronto, Ontario, 2012 * 150 Dan Leckie Way, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, 2012 * George Brown College, Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, 2012 * Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre,

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...

, Waterloo, Ontario, 2012 * The Joseph L. Rotman School of Management Expansion, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, 2012 * Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, 2012 * Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, 2013 * Sugino Studio, Toronto, Ontario, 2013 * Bridgepoint Health, Toronto, Ontario, 2013 * Ponderosa Commons,

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, British Columbia, (Phase 1), 2013 * Fort York Branch Library, Toronto, Ontario, 2014 * Library District Condominiums, Toronto, Ontario, 2014 * Southcore Financial Centre, Bremner Tower, Toronto, Ontario, 2015 * Torys LLP, Montreal, Quebec, 2015 * 2015 Pan American Games/ Parapan American Games Athletes’ Village , Canary District, Toronto, Ontario, 2015 * Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre,

, Vancouver, British Columbia, 2015 * St. Michael's Cathedral, Block Master Plan, Toronto, Ontario, 2015 * Bay Adelaide East Tower and Podium, Toronto, Ontario, 2016 * Ponderosa Commons,

, Vancouver, British Columbia, (Phase 2), 2016 * Thornwood House, Toronto, Ontario, 2016 * The Globe and Mail Office Interiors and Corporate Event Space, Toronto, Ontario, 2017 * Global Centre for Pluralism, Ottawa, Ontario, 2017 * Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan,

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

, 2017 * Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) Expansion and Arts Court Redevelopment, Ottawa, Ontario, 2018 * Wilson School of Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond, British Columbia, 2018 * Lloyd Hall, Banff Centre for Art and Creativity,

Banff, Alberta Banff is a resort town in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Calgary, east of Lake Louise, Alberta, Lake Louise, and above Banff was the first municipality to incorporate within ...

, 2018 * Lawrence Hights, Toronto, Ontario, 2018 * 11 Wellesley, Toronto, Ontario, 2018 * Canada's Diversity Gardens at Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2019 * University of Lethbridge Destination Project, Lethbridge, Alberta, 2019 * 11 Wellesley, Toronto, Ontario, 2019 * Bloor Street United Church: 300 Bloor West, Toronto, Ontario, 2020 * Massey Hall, Renovation and Expansion, Toronto, Ontario, 2020 * University of Toronto, Landscape of Landmark Quality, Toronto, Ontario, 2020 * Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park, Toronto, Ontario, Ongoing * St. Luke's United Church, Toronto, Ontario, ongoing

United States

* Ammirati Puris Lintas,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, 1997 * Goodman Theatre,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, 2000 * Sprague Memorial Hall,

, New Haven,

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, 2003 * Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Drama Center & Arthur Miller Theatre, Ann Arbor,

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, 2007 * The Study at Yale Hotel, New Haven, Connecticut, 2008 * SugarCube,

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, 2008 * Conrad Hotels, New York City, New York (state), 2012 * Orchestra Hall Renewal, Minnesota Orchestra, Minneapolis,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, 2013 * Adams Center for Musical Arts, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 2015 * Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building & Louis A. Simpson International Building,

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, Princeton,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, 2017 * Kellogg School of Management,

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...

, 2017 * Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics,

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, 2018

International

* Star Alliance Lounge,

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, 2001 * Canadian Embassy Berlin,

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, 2005

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Architecture firms of Canada Companies based in Toronto