This project, located in the heart of Gastown, started out as a tenant improvement for a client who had recently purchased the 105-year-old building and planned to relocate their art gallery. Through the design and budgeting process, the scope evolved to include the complete removal, upgrade, and reconstruction of the Water Street main level windows.

The public areas of the two main floors were fully renovated to update the 40-year old interiors. New frameless glass interior storefronts and updated lease spaces were constructed, along with the new 2-storey Coastal Peoples Gallery. The historic objet d’art clock, hand-built and restored by the same clockmaker as Gastown’s famous Steam Clock, was reinstated over the building’s main internal staircase as a key feature of the building.

For the exterior, Kindred reconstructed large storefront wood windows with concealed seismic and structural supports to restore covered openings. We also sourced the canopy contractor from the 1970s installation to restore and reglaze the main canopy, which was a focus for the City’s heritage representative.

Kindred discovered solutions to match new materials to the old, like using large rough-sawn wood to conceal steel posts and to mimic the look of the existing columns in the corridors. The scope of the project was phased to allow us to selectively work on parts of the building as required.

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