Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station, the northernmost terminal of Toronto’s recent subway extension, was designed by Grimshaw with Arup Canada. A highlight of the ovoid building’s interior is the integrated public art that serves as its vaulted ceiling – a scintillating feature, designed by Paul Raff Studio Architects, that not only enhances the commuter experience, but has also given the station an instant sense of place. Like a reverse disco ball, steel panels reflect and multiply images from below, producing a passive kinetic effect that transforms criss-crossing travellers into blurred swarms resembling schools of fish or flocks of birds. The whole is vaguely Calatravaesque, but with considerably more sparkle. A measure of its appeal is how frequently – and enthusiastically – the feature is Instagrammed.

Project Atmospheric Lens Location Toronto, Canada Firm Paul Raff Studio Architects Team Paul Raff with Lynne Eichenberg, Samantha Scroggie, Scott Barker and Sean Solowski Photo Shai Gil