Three new additions to downtown Toronto's architectural landscape have been recognized for their innovative design.

The Young Centre for the Performing Arts, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and the Gardiner Museum are among 10 buildings cited in this year's Good Design is Good Business competition held by BusinessWeek and Architectural Record magazines.

Soulpepper Theater Company artistic director Albert Schultz poses in the atrium of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in 2006.
(Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

The international competition cites "innovative building design projects that help solve problems and achieve specific goals," organizers said in a statement Wednesday.

"The entries were extremely high calibre, making the selection of winners especially difficult," said Robert Ivy, editor in chief of Architectural Record and one of seven jurors.

"The role of an architect goes far beyond creating an attractive building, as these projects demonstrate. With effective collaboration, architects can help clients strengthen their workforce, generate more revenue and illustrate a commitment to sustainability. These are just a few of the myriad benefits of good design."

A partnership between the Soulpepper Theatre Company and the theatre school of George Brown College, the Young Centre was named one of four award of excellence winners for 2007.

The Four Seasons Centre, seen here in June 2006, is the new performance hall of the Canadian Opera Company.
(Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)

The other three are the Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola, Fla., the headquarters of InterActiveCorp in New York and the U.S. Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, Md.

The Canadian Opera Company's new performance space — the Four Seasons Centre — and the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art were among the additional six buildings that were honoured with a citation for excellence.

Also cited were:

• Petco Stadium, the San Diego Padres' ballpark.
• The interior of the Hearst Tower in New York.
• The law offices of SJ Berwin in London.
• The headquarters of Hubbell Lighting in Greenville, S.C.

Both the Young Centre and the Gardiner Museum were designed by Toronto-based firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, while the Four Seasons Centre was designed by Diamond and Schmitt.

Judges chose the 2007 winners from 96 project submissions from nine different countries around the world and completed in the past four years.

The winning design teams will be honoured at an awards dinner in New York in October and will be featured in print and online editions of both Architectural Record and BusinessWeek.