Quote:
Originally Posted by Good Baklava
I had originally posted the about the Mills brothers block and the bay window + arch configuration, but after reading the question again and better understanding the instructions I shifted the focus onto casino theatre since I knew less about the building. Really, “all three” would be a good answer since I had not known about the history of Mills brothers until its demolition was announced.
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Thanks for that.
Actually, I just started the thread on the spur of the moment, without much thought as to rules or instructions, but it was just basically reactionary to reading about a building that I had always noticed and found interesting but never knew anything about it really. As often is the case, its story is not well known until it burns or is torn down, and then people post about it or the media reports on it. In this case I was struck by a sense of loss for the community and for myself in a way, that I never really knew enough about it to appreciate it, until it was gone.
So there aren't really any rules per se, I just thought I'd see if others have had similar experiences with old buildings and their histories. As with any thread, I didn't know if it would end with my post or take on a life of its own...
That said, I think the Mills Brothers block fits in perfectly, actually, and applies to my experience as well. I know less about the Casino theatre, though I have a murky memory of going there once back in the 1980s. I had never paid attention to the bay window over arch configuration before, but now I will be looking for it whenever I'm browsing old pics.
The Mills Brothers block is an interesting case. For me, it was 'always there', a staple of Spring Garden Road, and I never paid huge attention to the building, but also in some naive way I never considered that it would disappear some day (in the same way that I never thought the Maritime Life building on the opposite corner would continue to be there). As with anything, nothing lasts forever, even businesses or structures that you considered 'iconic' in some way.
Your post prompted me to look into the history a little more, and I found this site revealing the military history of the site (which I hadn't been aware of):
https://hmhps.ca/sites/mills-brothers-block
In terms of the bay window over arch, I found this photo from the
Halifax Municipal Archives:
...which shows that the bay window did not exist in 1970. Hmmm... interesting.
There was another post in
Noticed in Nova Scotia which included the following statement:
Quote:
In the 70s Mills did a major renovation and expansion. I believe the work was designed by architect Robert Parker and Associates . One of the associates in this project was Tony Mann , a star graphic and product designer and professor at NSCAD.
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So the bay window over arch was added at some point, maybe in the 1970s, but I don't personally remember to be honest. Most likely it was inspired by another (or more than one?) building that the designer had seen and thought it would fit the theme of this building perfectly.
Now did that idea come from another building in Halifax? The Casino Theatre maybe? It would be neat to find out.