The Great Canadian Heritage Restoration Thread

[Rico Rommheim]

^What? Are you kidding me? I had no idea these were butcherd renos. What a shame. These people responsible...I hope they're proud of themselves. 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 idiots.

[someone123]

Those make me wonder how many ugly buildings were renovated like that, and how many still hide interesting details. The ones with new masonry walls don't seem likely to have their old facades, but often siding can just be taken off.

There's a similar example in Halifax. Look closely at the front facade and the side wall of the fourth house on the left side; it has a plain 50's-era brick front, but the side is clearly Victorian-era brick with a mansard roof.



This one's got metal siding:

[canarob]

Here's a different approach to heritage restoration. When subdivisions are built in Markham, often any existing heritage homes are moved to Markham Heritage Estates, where they're put into a "heritage subdivision." The result sometimes looks a bit odd, but it's great that the homes are saved.

When existing homes can be incorporated into a new neighbourhood, the homes remain in their original location, so there are also a lot of examples of immaculately restored heritage homes within new cookie cutter neighbourhoods.


Source: Rannie Turigan http://www.hypercube.rannieturingan.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_0654.jpg

[red-paladin]

Those great buildings trashed by the late 20th century renos really get my blood boiling.
Speaking of the Flack Block and Woodwards... I really hope that red Asia Imports building (seen in the pictures between the two) is restored / renovated soon. It looks in sad shape.

[MTLskyline]

Originally Posted by someone123

Those make me wonder how many ugly buildings were renovated like that, and how many still hide interesting details. The ones with new masonry walls don't seem likely to have their old facades, but often siding can just be taken off.

There's a similar example in Halifax. Look closely at the front facade and the side wall of the fourth house on the left side; it has a plain 50's-era brick front, but the side is clearly Victorian-era brick with a mansard roof.

This one's got metal siding:

The second one looks quite restorable. Even if the original brick was ripped off, a quality modern brick might look OK.

[MTLskyline]

2011:
http://goo.gl/maps/mqjXL

2012:

Montréal, 02 mars 2013. Coin Nord-Ouest des rues Poupart et Logan. by DubyDub2009, on Flickr

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

The second one looks quite restorable. Even if the original brick was ripped off, a quality modern brick might look OK.

There's a redevelopment plan for that block which will likely see both of the buildings with red metal siding in the photo with a large brick/glass one.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Hali87

There's a redevelopment plan for that block which will likely see both of the buildings with red metal siding in the photo with a large brick/glass one.

I still have no idea if I actually want that to be built or not. If the rendering's to be believed the Granville Street side will be a huge improvement, but buildings don't always come out as advertised, and sometimes they don't happen at all.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by someone123

I still have no idea if I actually want that to be built or not. If the rendering's to be believed the Granville Street side will be a huge improvement, but buildings don't always come out as advertised, and sometimes they don't happen at all.

I'm not even sure about that. I think the Granville side looks interesting now and could look fantastic if it were restored or rebuilt to resemble its current form (and the metal cladding on the sides of the building were replaced with, well, anything but vinyl). Other than the storefronts, I actually think the Granville side looks better than the Barrington side (which I think is what will be replicated on both sides in the redevelopment).

[someone123]

I mean that the renderings look better than the current condition. I would prefer a theoretical restoration of all of the buildings, but that doesn't appear to be on the table.

Starfish has done lots of great restoration projects but the Roy building's pretty much been a disaster for years.

Here's their site: http://www.starfishproperties.ca/index.html

[MTLskyline]

Not sure if this counts as a heritage restoration, but it is an improvement nonetheless.

2011:

http://goo.gl/maps/tmlxK

2012:
http://www.imtl.org/montreal/image.php?id=7564&im=4

2013:

Montréal, 01 avril 2013. Rue Saint-Denis, depuis rue Boucher >Nord. by DubyDub2009, on Flickr


Montréal, 01 avril 2013. Coin Sud-Est des rues Saint-Denis et Saint-Grégoire. by DubyDub2009, on Flickr

[Chadillaccc]

That would belong in the reclad thread I think. But still, much better!

[Martin Mtl]

Hotel Ottawa on Notre-Dame (Old Montreal): restoration and consruction of two more floors.

[FrAnKs]

Awesome !

[MTLskyline]

I would be extremely impressed if they could successfully pull this off.

Are they replacing the stone on the existing building with a new stone that will be used on the whole building? Or are they going to try and find a similar colour of stone to use for the addition?

The podium of the TD building on the corner kind of wrecks the street's scale.

[lake of the nations]

In downtown Sherbrooke, this 1928 theater is currently being restored to its previous look.

Granada theater in 2012.


By UncivilFire

The same building in 1930.


Fonds de Radio-Québec — La Société d’histoire de Sherbrooke

[J.OT13]

Don't mean to pick on you guys, but here is another Montreal Fail;

Le Forum before



Le Forum reno 1



Le Forum today



Anyway, in Ottawa we tear down our best heritage buildings and either a. rebuild part of the façade with original materials, b. rebuild a replica that often lacks character or c. build a boring condo and put up a plaque saying a much more awesome building use to stand here.

And then we save 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 "heritage" buildings or spend millions to move ho hum "heritage" buildings so we can widen roads or build a big box retail building.

Going through this thread, I am envious of the rest of Canada where heritage means a great deal.

[Dwils01]

Old General Administration Building at the old St. Mary's Paper site built in 1901 will become the new home of the Algoma Conservatory in Sault Ste. Marie.



Source: http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/details.asp?c=64474

[lake of the nations]

In Sherbrooke, we had what looked like a pretty ugly and banal industrial building.


https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=concept+ek...WYy1sww_y20nuRfHg&cbp=13,281.27,,0,-6.81

But last December, some of the cladding was removed, uncovering a century-old factory.


Surprise by lake of the nations, on Flickr

[lake of the nations]

Originally Posted by lake of the nations

In downtown Sherbrooke, this 1928 theater is currently being restored to its previous look.

Granada theater in 2012.


By UncivilFire

The same building in 1930.


Fonds de Radio-Québec — La Société d’histoire de Sherbrooke

It's pretty much done. As you can see, the sign is much smaller than the original one.


By me