GVSA Member Project

Project Name: Huntsville Civic Centre (c. 1926)
& Algonquin Theatre
Location: 37 Main Street East, Huntsville, Ontario
Type: Renovation / Addition
Size: Renovation: 18,300 sq. ft. / Addition: 18,840 sq.ft.
Construction Value: $5.5 M
Completed: 2005
Client's Name: Town of Huntsville
Consultant's Specific Role: Prime Consultant
Award: Canadian Association of Professional Heritage Consultants
Award of Merit - 2006
Description:

Huntsville Civic Centre involved creating a newer complex centered upon the former Town Hall. Scope of work included the restoration of the Town Hall itself; the renovation and re-use of the existing incorporated into a newer complex; and a complementary addition respecting the original building.

Location on Main Street, the former Huntsville Town Hall building, with its unique eight sided, wooden clock tower, is a landmark building, designated under Part 4 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. 0.18 . This two-storey bricked Neo-classic influenced building is sometimes referred to as the only Classical Revival public building in Muskoka.

The design involved preservation and re-creation of the architectural splendor while changes included both direct physical changes to the exterior and interior spaces of the original building as well as changes to the operational parameters of the building (including proposed temperature and humidity regimes). Work on the existing building involved restoring the exterior, particularly the masonry components as well as roof and window replacement.

The success of the new Huntsville Civic Centre depended on the environmental safeguarding and the performance of its building systems in both the new and restored areas. The Ventin Group team analyzed all aspects of the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical building systems to develop a sustainable long term efficient and cost effective life cycle performance. Our building science expertise ensured that both the heritage structure was protected and maintained for the designed life of the new facility. The new Theatre addition façade, although respecting the proportions, materials, and heights of the existing building, is a new façade that complements the historic façade.

TVG Staff on this assignment: Role:

Paul Sapounzi Partner-in-Charge
Carlos Ventin Project Architect
Dennis Vass Project Controller
Detailed Project Description

Huntsville Town Hall, with its unique eight-sided, wooden clock tower, is a landmark building with a prominent Main Street location. Built in 1926 and designated under Part 4 of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1985, the two-storey bricked Neo-classic-influenced building is often referenced as the only Classical Revival public building in Muskoka.

By early in the new millennium, though, it was becoming apparent that the landmark facility was no longer suitable to serve expanding local needs, or to meet current and future code requirements. The town then undertook a strategic planning exercise to determine the community’s vision for the future. During that process, the community identified the importance of ensuring that the downtown remained vibrant and functional, that municipal offices remained in the downtown core, that post secondary education was encouraged locally, and that a multi-use space was developed to serve all facets of the performing arts.

When the town decided to build its new civic centre (completed in 2005), the need to meet these mandated priorities was clear. An additional, and important, criterion was the preservation and re-creation of the architectural splendor that distinguished the old civic centre when it first opened.

Scope of Work

The primary purpose of the design project was to ensure the preservation of the heritage fabric of the structure and, where changes were made, to ensure that such changes were known and therefore inherently reversible in accordance with ethical conservation practice. Essentially, the project involved creating a newer complex centered upon the former Town Hall. The scope of work for the project included the restoration of the Town Hall itself, the renovation of the existing building, and a complementary addition to the original building.

The original building was designed by Toronto Architects Ellis and Belfry, and formerly served as the community post office as well as the municipal offices. Together, the overall mass of this red bricked, squared plan design with its formal symmetry and clock tower displayed a forceful but simplified composition and use of classical detail, which was typical for public buildings found in small towns during the 1920s. The clock (multiple faced) in the clock tower is quite old, and had originally been on the centre tower of Toronto's second Union Station (built in 1873, and demolished between 1927 and 1931).

In the design of this project, the central idea was the conservation of the function and purpose of a historic civic building, being the Town Hall.

Changes included both direct physical changes to the exterior and interior spaces of the original building as well as changes to the operational parameters of the building (including proposed temperature and humidity regimes). Work on the existing building involved restoring the exterior, particularly the masonry components as well as roof replacement. To suit the historic integrity, windows were replaced with new wood windows that replicated their original design in overall proportions and dimensions.

To meet the community’s needs, the project involved updating and renovating the original 18,300 sq. ft. of gross floor area Huntsville Town Hall and an addition of 18,840 sq. ft. of gross floor area to include new facilities for the Algonquin Theatre Performing Arts Centre; the Club 64 Seniors’ Centre; as well as administrative and classroom spaces for Laurentian College. The original theatre, located on the third floor, could not be expanded and updated in the existing building, so a 400-seat theatre was added to the south of the building as a new addition.

The interior of the Town Hall had been modified many times since its original construction. Solutions were found that permitted the original interior proportions and spaces to remain in a restored condition. This involved taking the selected components, mostly millwork, and reinstating them in their original character, and then creating contemporary functional office space around them. The end result allowed areas like the Council Chambers and the main lobby of Town Hall to retain their historic character.

Practical Success Factors

The success of the new Huntsville Civic Centre depended on the environmental safeguarding and the performance of its building systems in both the new and restored areas. The building was stabilized and repaired with new climatic controls, in an environment that would maintain the building at a stable temperature and humidity. The design team analyzed all aspects of the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical building systems to develop a sustainable long-term efficient and cost effective life cycle performance. Using building science expertise ensured that both the heritage structure was protected and maintained for the designed life of the new facility.

The new theatre addition façade, although respecting the proportions, materials, and heights of the existing building, is a new façade that complements the historic exterior. As part of the conservation strategy, the theatre addition was setback from the Main Street allowing the southern elevation to be exposed to form a forecourt. The remaining side elevation was then trapped within the addition, and the masonry veneer was maintained within the addition to form a new lobby from the rear of the building. This new expansion facilitates a heightened appreciation of the existing building, by framing views of specific details and through reinterpretation. The existing stairway was also reinterpreted in the expansion, giving visitors pause to reflect on the similarities and differences between the new and old.

As a conservation project, the design team endeavored to conserve material. The reuse of the existing building creates a scenario whereby a minimum of new material is used, and maximum labour and skill are incorporated – as opposed to building a new multiuse facility on a new site where the labour would be minimized and the use of new material would be maximized. Where extensive amounts of new material are used, many natural resources and much energy are expended. In contrast, conservation and rehabilitation projects tend to minimize the consumption of scarce resources, and are generally distinguished by the opportunities they provide for local labour involvement. In this project, many of the sub-trades used were local.

Conclusion

Huntsville’s new Civic Centre strengthens this facility’s presence within the community by maintaining the original building and reassigning its original use, and combining the theatre addition and the creation of the formal public square. The quality of the design is such that it protects the significance of its structure, helping to ensure that the future of this heritage building remains secure.

The mission statement for the new facility is that "the space will be for the many, not the few and that the theatre will strive to be the venue of choice for area events, attractions and meetings."

Overall, the project establishes a rapport between old and new, an architectural dialogue that brings forth new meanings that would be otherwise unachievable in an entirely new work, or within a project based solely on restoration. The complete architectural composition is a unified whole respecting the heritage values of the original structure that has symbolic and practical importance – past, present and future – to the Town of Huntsville. True to its motto, Huntsville has succeeded in with its efforts in this project to “touch the past, embrace the future.”


Robert Mank
Coordinator
The Ventin Group Ltd., Architects

36 Water Street South
Cambridge, Ontario
Canada
N1R 3C5

Telephone: 519.740.0671
Fax: 519.740.3902

Please visit our website at: www.ventingroup.com
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