Cinesphere

“For residents and tourists in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, one of the most entertaining locations in town is Ontario Place.”

On a 93-acre, lakefront park in the city’s downtown core, people of all ages can enjoy everything from a water slides to restaurants. The jewel of Ontario Place is the Cinesphere, the world’s first permanent IMAX® cinema. In honor of the park’s 40th anniversary in 2011, the unique, silver-domed Cinesphere received a complete renovation, adding Mondo’s Harmoni flooring throughout the complex.

Redesigning the theatre opened an opportunity to take all the seats out and replace the aging carpet with Mondo Harmoni rubber flooring. “Having the addition of the Mondo product was a positive move for a number of reasons,” says Mukhlis Mutlag, project manager, maintenance and construction for Ontario Place. “In addition to the ease of maintenance and slip resistance, the Mondo floor is also healthier with the anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties. We installed Mondo in all the high traffic areas, and it worked out very well.”

Architects Valerie Gow and Philip Hastings met with Mondo representatives and looked at the Harmoni product. The team chose Harmoni flooring for its design and its durability. “The Cinesphere had not been renovated since its original opening, so any new product that was installed would have to last for a long time,” says Philip Hastings. The Harmoni was a good match to coordinate other aspects of the project. “The charcoal base color offsets small flecks of black, a graphite grey and creamy white,” says Gow. “We were able to pull those colors into the designs throughout the theatre. The warm, charcoal color also serves as a neutral base for the bright red and black seats in the theatre, and robins egg blue on the front of the concession area. Even though it was custom designed by Mondo, we were able to meet our budget, which was very important.”