How may we create public spaces that appreciate and welcome all persons? The ‘Toronto for Free’ intervention employs the column as a vehicle promoting whimsical and casual space; one that is less-so designed and more so messily discovered. Notably, the formal concept of the ‘architectural support column’ is physically stretched to afford leaning, instigate notions of play, and even imitate seating. The proposal aims to visualise both the curious humility of sculptural forms and their unpredictable nature that invites unique discovery. In this sense, etiquette expectations are refuted by dispelling (and redefining) traditional social associations tied to public spaces.
