Friday, July 01, 2005
Catherine Stutt
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Ontario Construction News
It's just over the threshold, one step from a modern albeit historic street, yet it is a giant leap into another time.
Stepping out of 2005 and into the era of the British Whig Building is about more than architecture it's about texture and substance, its about the character of more than the building, but also of the builders; not only the original tradesmen, but those who came after, restoring the grand old landmark to its former glory.
On April 9, 2005 Kim Donovan invited the public to step back in time, through the doors of his magnificently restored British Whig building, located at the corner of King and Clarence streets on Kingston's historic Market Square.
When Mr. Donovan's company, Kincore Holdings Ltd. Purchased the building in 1998, it was far removed from its original architecture, its grandeur hidden behind years of uncomplimentary renovations and its components threatened due to neglect and decay.
Its potential though, was evident, its location alluring, and it captured the heart and imagination of this self-described custodian of heritage community assets.
The British Whig Building shares an inextricable nexus with the City of Kingston; the kinship chronicled in the pages of the very papers that recorded the Limestone City's evolution, published for more than 100 years on that very site.
The history of the property is recorded as far back as 1784, when Market Square was included in the original town survey. Formal establishment of the market in 1801 gave rise to nearby commercial development.
The property housing what is now know as the British Whig Building saw its first construction in 1790, when United Empire Loyalists built a church and name it for St. George, the patron saint of England. The church was dismantled in 1825, moved, and incorporated into nearby St. George's Cathedral, where Lord Sydenham, who united Upper and Lower Canada and became the first Governor General of Canada, is buried in a vault under the nave, marked with a commemorative plaque in the centre aisle.
On New Years Day 1899, the interior of the Cathedral was gutted by fire, and rebuilt by Joseph Power, who was also the principle architect for the Ontario Bank Building and the British Whig Building, built in on the former site of St. George's in 1894 and 1895 respectively. A small vacant lot separated the two buildings.
The Cathedral is visible from the south windows of the renovated Whig Building, retaining a century-long connection between the two.
With St. George's now across the square, Georgian style two-storey limestone commercial buildings were erected in its place. In 1895, Edward J.B. Pense, owner and editor of The Daily British Whig commissioned local architect Joseph Power to design a new headquarters. The result was a late Victorian classical style building in Mr. Power's words, "an asymmetrical blend of heavy, wounded arches and roughly textured stone with classical pilasters and cornices."
In 1925, Rupert Davies, publisher of the Kingston Daily Standard purchased the Daily British Whig, and amalgamated the two the next year, forming the Kingston Whig-Standard.
During World War II, a major expansion occurred, and the Ontario Bank building, sitting at the corner of Clarence and King Streets was joined with its neighbour, the British Whig Building.
That same renovation included changes to the facade and the original classical cornices, pediment, and urns were removed.
Originally three buildings, built in three phases (1895, 1896, and 1942), they were now married with a modest facade that left the building symmetrical, but sadly bereft of much of its original character.
In 1963, a renovation designed to create a post-modern look dictated the removal of most of the remaining classical features, and the installation of smooth Queenston limestone, green marble, and white metal siding.
The Whig Standard moved to another historic building in the late 1990's, but tenants remained in the Ontario Bank Building.
When Kincore Holdings Limited purchased the buildings, it was a mixture of architectural styles spread over three original buildings that were now amalgamated into two distinct structures, and four facade changes that hid something, but no one was quite sure what lay beneath.
“We had to determine how we could take what was there and bring it back to its original splendour." Said Mr. Hillebrandt, echoing the commitment of everyone involved.
Kim Donovan knew that he wanted the buildings returned to their rightful glory, and that he wanted them joined to allow for larger floor plates and views onto Clarence Street.
The Ontario Bank Building, though, was in poor repair, and much had to be done before it could be joined with its neighbour. Mark Hillebrandt of Alexander Wilson Architect explained the transition.
“We started the restoration by deconstructing the facade. We had an original picture from the turn of the century, so we knew where we had to go, but first we had to remove the newer components, like the marble, the metal siding, and the clock above the archway. Once those were gone, and the remaining facade cleaned, we saw what was left, and what we had to do."
Virtually everything removed from the building was recovered, down to the huge dimensional joists, and remains in storage for the ultimate in recycling.
With sixty years of renovations removed, the very distinct rusticated Credit Valley sandstone was revealed and while mostly intact, in order to amalgamate the buildings, more would be required. “We managed to track down the last bit of rare Credit Valley sandstone, and had it quarried and matched to the existing facade. It is very distinct, and that was the last of it there is no more."
After an interesting visit to the stonecutter, where the bush hammering was underway, Mr. Hillebrandt had a new perspective. “There were monolithic pieces of rock," he recalled. “It was the biggest circular saw I had ever seen. It was taller than me."
Once the stone was dressed, the mason sized pieces into the building, based on exacting specification. “We did all of the shop drawings for each of the stones, and we have them all numbered and listed."
During past renovations, the copper cornice and frieze were literally ripped off the building, exposing rough brick and joist ends. Both were replicated by Barry Blunden and reinstated across the newly amalgamated building. Made of copper, they match the replicated copper urns that grace the newly restored roofline. “The triangular piece of the pediment and urns were part of the original design, but removed during previous renovations."
Before the roofline could be aligned, there were other issues. “The Ontario Bank Building was several feet shorter than the Whig Building," explained Mr. Hillebrandt. “The roof was in such bad shape that it had to be replaced anyway, so we took that opportunity to raise it to the same level of the Whig. There was also a lot of damage along the parapet, and we added new steel to the exiting Whig building."
Fulfilling though his career in architecture is - and Mr. Hillebrandt acknowledged that few in his business get an opportunity like the Whig Building - there were times when he found himself in unexpected places. “There were a couple of scary meeting held on the edge of the roof, measuring existing parapets and examining brick work in the high winds of the late fall on the Ontario Bank Building,' he confessed.
He lived to tell the story, and after more than seven years of intimate work on the file, there is only satisfaction. “I can say in all honesty that I'll never have the opportunity to work on a project like this again. It was a real challenge to preserve heritage characteristics of the building and still meet code. In the end, though, it far exceeds the building code for sound, noise and fire transfer, impact; it is an exceptionally well-restored building. It is a phenomenal building, and that is because we have a client who wants to do the best. Kim didn't cut corners on any aspect, he allowed us to do what needed to be done, what the building deserved. There were many opportunities to broaden our experience and knowledge on heritage building. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun." Back to work.
The Whig Building, while forming an impressive streetscape on Market Square, was four storeys high in the front only, and two storeys in the rear, so an additional two storeys were added to make it four storeys throughout.
For Kim Donovan, though, a traditional roof is simply not good enough, not for his showpiece, for what has become his signature effort.
Scott Wentworth Landscape Group was commissioned to design and install a green roof, and that necessitated extra structural steel, but resulted in a rooftop oasis overlooking Kingston City Hall to the east, the historic Bank of Montreal to the southeast, downtown Kingston to the northwest, and St. George's Cathedral to the south. The Ontario Bank side has a pond with eight inches of water, a Japanese garden, and a pergola; the Whig side has boardwalks and gravel walkways, and both offer decks, sitting areas, and shrubbery.
“Just imagine," suggests Kim Donovan, drawing a listener into his dream, “Basking in the sunshine, sitting in the rooftop garden overlooking the grandeur of Kingston's historic waterfront, all the while remaining productive while working on your laptop connected by a wireless network."
That tremble was the paradigm shifting on workplace luxury.
The rooftop, accessible only to tenants of the secure building, will accommodate 60 people at one time.
Meanwhile, deconstruction and restoration continued inside.
Leaving no stone unturned, work next focused on the ground floor. The Whig and Ontario Bank Buildings were designed by the same architect, Joseph Power, and there were many similarities, including floor elevations in the upper tiers. The bottom floor, though, was a different story.
“One of the fun things we found was when we joined the two buildings, we had to remove six feet of limestone from the basement of the Ontario Bank Building," recalled Mr. Donovan. “We took it out back, squared and dressed the stone, and then applied it to the rear block wall. That used to be the way houses were built in this area - they would excavate the foundation, and use the stone in the house. We were able to celebrate that heritage in this building."
The bottom floor is now not only finished, but also boasts the first paying tenant (Mr. Donovan has yet to negotiate a lease with the two ducks who have claimed the rooftop pond). The Keg Restaurant is building out the interior of the entire ground floor and is optimistic for a mid-summer opening.
With the bottom floor and the roof addressed, surprises were unearthed in the entrance, centered at the front of the building. The mystery behind years of renovations continued. “We measured the floors from wall to wall, and compared them to original plans. We found a three foot discrepancy and didn't know if it was sold masonry, a void, or something else," said Mr. Hillebrandt. “We removed a portion of the wall and found fireplaces."
One mystery was solved, but another quirk of the British Whig Building revealed itself. The fireplaces, particularly those in what is now the grand entrance, conformed to floors of yore, and now floated well above existing elevations.
As more recent wall finishes were removed, layer upon layer of character was discovered. There is advertising art painted on long brick spans that at one time were exterior walls, but now form part of large office suites. There is a ghost image of the peak of the old roof from an adjacent but long gone building on the third floor. There is evidence that the masons had a sense of humour and style, as quirky details mix with stunning stonework.
A 16-foot barrel vaulted ceiling was discovered, covered, on the fourth floor and was restored.
“The evolutionary process of the staircase was equally intense," reported Mr. Hillebrandt. “Initial plans for the central staircase called for a smooth stucco pattern, nice and clean like a hotel lobby."
As the modern finishes were peeled back, another story emerged. “It was a dog's breakfast," he said. “There was brick and a mixture of stone, and rocks and we kept finding these floating fireplaces and chimneys."
Undeterred, in fact quite the opposite, Kim Donovan immediately saw the potential. “Kim wanted to clean the walls, and it was a lot of work. Some areas had to be completely rebuilt, doorways had to be filled in, and a lot of labour went into saving those walls."
Upon seeing the results, Mr. Donovan's vision paid off.
Instead of stucco walls, a heartwood cherry staircase now rises four floors, seemingly floating in midair. “The specifications called for heartwood only, no sapwood," recalled Sandy Wilson, the principal architect.
Built by Bob McFadden of Glenburnie, the staircase is beyond impressive. A deep cherry colour perfectly compliments the masonry in the lobby, and the theme is carried throughout the building, on window trim, jams, and sashes, on doors and their trim, and on the large panels adorning the halls. Even fire doors, of necessity made of metal, have a faux cherry finish that is indistinguishable from the real thing.
The construction manager on the restoration is Acclaim Building Services, and Mark Hillebrandt has high praise for them. “They did a great job, and there is an impressive volume of subcontractors, tradespeople, and artisans involved in this project."
Although the roof, facade, and basement needed work, structurally, reports Mr. Hillebrandt, the building was rock solid. While erected separately, the building were designed by the same architect, and the floor planes were similar, making it possible to open up the area from one building to the next.
The upper floor window were replicated using white oak or restored whenever possible. Two 24 inch by 24 inch leaded stain glass windows were discovered in their original locations above the front entrance and used to replicate the remaining 23 operable sash windows.
Light fixtures, and door and window hardware were researched, often using high tech method to find old world design. “Google." Stated Mr. Hillebrandt. “We simply typed in thing like “heritage light fixtures" to see what we could find. We were able to get a lot of what we needed through local suppliers, once we knew what we needed."
At the end of the day, The British Whig Building is much more than recovered commercial space, and its owner is well aware that the guardianship continues.
"Ultimately, as owners, we are entrusted with community assets. We restore them responsibly and then add modern conveniences. This building has the latest in electrical, mechanical, and plumbing, but also has operable windows, high ceilings and history. We are celebrating the fact that this type of building is what makes Kingston unique and special, " said Mr. Donovan.
"I would love to see the head office of a medium sized company relocate to Kingston to take advantage of the skilled work force. Kingston has the highest percentage of adults with post secondary school education in the country. A lot of people relocate to Kingston in senior level jobs, and then their spouses, who are also highly educated, have difficulty find suitable employment.'
“Kingston is perfectly located between Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, and offers such a high quality of life."
Mr. Donovan's first preference is to lease the entire 22,000 sq.ft. of office space in the building to one tenant. Absent that possibility, he would like to rent it by the floor, at 8,000 sq.ft. each, and if that remains difficult, each floor can be divided into suites.
“Studies have shown that high quality work places translate into higher productivity, so while this is leasing at premium rates, the potential for return is there, and I think that clients will understand that concept. It is premium space, and that makes a statement about the people located in it."
Mr. Donovan's efforts to promote the city have not gone unnoticed, nor are they unappreciated, Geoff Coons, executive assistant to Mayor Harvey Rosen, captures the feelings of many. Mayor Rosen is certainly a supporter of Mr. Donovan and his company's vision for downtown Kingston. "He has taken historic Kingston buildings and restored them for practical business and residential use. Kincore's ongoing projects in the downtown will make Kingston more appealing and attractive to the city's citizens and visitors."
“Mr. Donovan is an important member of the downtown Kingston community and definitely a visionary and cheerleader for the city's continued improvements and restoration. Certainly the British Whig Building is a leading example of his efforts.'
"I feel that Kim Donovan commands respect as a developer of historic spaces."
As the public turned out to have a last tour through the building before tenants claimed it, the enthusiasm was infectious. From council members to builders to architecture and history buffs, it was a Saturday unlike any other. Kincore's vision, Saturday Wilson's designs, and myriad artisans' work come together in a crescendo of historical perfection.
Kim Donovan greeted people at the door, leading them into his private web.
It was more than a step back, but rather a sign of the times that will hopefully encourage other property owners to make the financial and emotional commitment with their heritage buildings. From the enthusiasm and pride in Kim Donovan's voice, it has most certainly been a rewarding journey for him.
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The British Whig Building Kingston's Reincarnation on Market Square |
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