Applied to the perforated metal, the semi-transparent
letters "UNIVERSITY OF TORONT" gives way to a free-standing
letter "O" at end of the cantilever, an unsurprising
gesture from Thom Mayne that implies more layering than is physically
present. Also evident is the way the sign affects the adjacent
exterior skin: glass banding below and metal panels rising slightly
to cradle it. A testament to Mayne's ability to compose different
materials and forms into a cohesive whole is evident here: the
seemingly unrelated signage giving the building a center and
unifying the disparate parts.
