Description of Historic Place The Weston Bakery, located at 1377 Hamilton Street, is a three-storey red brick building that is a blend of Spanish Colonial Revival and Italianate influenced styles located at the corner of Hamilton and 8 th Avenue in Regina, Saskatchewan. The building is
distinguished by its architectural detailing and red tile roof. Heritage Value Built in 1929, the aesthetic value of the building resides in its Spanish Colonial Revival style. This type of architecture was popular throughout North America from the 1910s to the 1940s. The Weston Bakery Building exhibits many of the stylistic influences that are often rich with detail, such as the red tile roof, Tyndall stone accents, and rounded-arch window openings. In addition, the building features symmetrically designed façades with corresponding towers at each of the corners. There is heritage value in the architectural style of the building associated with the mass production and distribution of baked goods. The brick building has a 45’ frontage along Hamilton Street with a garage stretching 100’ on the north side of the building. There is value in the building’s association with Montreal architect Sydney Comber (1887 – 1961). Comber opened his own office in late 1911 and quickly became the leading Canadian authority on the design of industrial bakeries and dairy production facilities. His reputation lead to commissions for this building type in locations across the country and no other Canadian architect was as prolific at devising contemporary architectural forms to accommodate industrial uses. There is value in the building’s association with local Regina architects Van Egmond and Storey. This architectural firm worked as associate architects to Sydney Comber in the design of the building. The building was constructed by Bird, Woodall and Simpson. There is also value in the building’s association with Weston Foods which became a pioneer and leader in the Canadian baking market. George Weston’s bakeries became a multinational food processing and distribution center and a world conglomerate. Weston Foods has become one of Canada’s most successful companies. There is value in the connection of the building to the production of baked goods and the historical value of the property also resides in its construction during one of Regina’s boom periods. Built in 1929 it was in continual use as a bakery until it closed in 2012. Character-Defining Elements The heritage value of the Weston Bakery lies in such character-defining elements as: · The free-standing, three-and -two-storey building and rectangular massing.
· The short set-back from the street.
· Those elements that are reflective of the Spanish Colonial Revival and Italianate
style of architecture including the location and height of the towers located at each corner of the building. · The alternation of semicircular and rectangular windows and the symmetrical
pattern of fenestration. · The Tyndall stone accents including such as keystones, sills and the belt course
dividing the first and second storey help accentuate the buildings scale and massing. · The red tile roof, cornice and bracketing details which highlights the distinction
between the varying roof heights. · Those elements which reflect the function of the building to the production of
baked goods as reflected in the ghost signs still evident on the exterior faces of the building. · The connection of the building with George Weston Inc. and the companies
distribution of fresh baked goods across Canada · The association with architects Sydney Comber of Montreal and local architects
Van Egmond and Storey.
|
Prev
Linear Mode
