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design source guide 2013 www.canadianinteriors.com www.canadianarchitect.com 01 8 By Rhys Phillips 93754 SPR 12 74470 Photo: Ben Blossom 0

cdn $16.95 PM#40069240 The Queen Elizabeth Atrium’s cascading staircase provides an active option for vertical circulation through the original Sun Life Building (1929) that now operates as ’s working wing. By stepping out into the atrium’s tight space, it provides multiple platforms that serve as spaces for social interaction delightfully washed by eastern sunlight from a massive skylight.

41 5/6 2016 CANADIAN INTERIORS “We wanted to show Canada, not tell Canada,” is a line Canada’s High Commissioner to the U.K., Gordon Campbell, repeats several times as we tour Canada House, located on the western edge of ’s . His point is simple: the renovated and revitalized embassy is intended as a tour de force of contemporary Canadian design reflecting strong Canadian themes all deftly layered into an intricately restored Grade II heritage building. And such is its symbiotic interweaving of historic and Modern, that hard-to-please English Heritage, who monitored the project throughout, blessed the outcome as the best restoration in London at its opening. ------Canada House’s almost classically balanced Trafalgar Square façade unites two buildings designed between 1823 and 1827 by British Na- tional Gallery architect Sir Robert Smirke. The Union Club component was purchased in 1923 with its conjoined twin, the Royal College of Physicians, added in 1963. Even though it was repaired after almost being sold in 1993, Canada House’s interior by 2012 was drab, rather shopworn and largely used only for occasional events. But with an en- thusiastic Campbell installed, a new British-centric Conservative gov- ernment in place and the adjacent Sun Life Assurance Building (1929) purchased, transformation was on order. Edmonton’s Stantec Architec- ture was handed the task of a complete makeover including consolidat- ing all 240 dispersed staff into the expanded Trafalgar Square location. ------Stantec’s mandate included a major infrastructure upgrade as well as inserting modern office spaces into Cockspur, indifferently renovated in the 1980s. Three connections through one-metre-thick walls separat- ing the new building from the heritage wing were required. Natural light was to be teased into the new complex along with improved transpar- ency from the square. An extensive heritage restoration of Canada House was demanded given what Campbell admits were highly destruc- tive earlier interventions. And finally, the new High Commission had to emerge as a seamlessly integrated showcase for Canadian art and mate- rials as well as manufactured and bespoke furniture and lighting design. ------The Return of Light ------Key to correcting Canada House’s dreary reputation involved first Above Canada House’s original staircase, with its remarkably slim profile re-opening many lost windows. Not incidentally, the re-opening of given its 1823 date of construction, has been meticulously restored. numerous and generously-sized neo-classical windows opened views Omar Arbel of Bocci has contributed 57.157, a 14.5 metre, gossamer- like light fixture of thin wires and supporting glass globes that whim- to and from the Square to ensure greater interactive transparency. sically reference snowflakes. Top right Originally the High Commis- They become “a really shining beacon of light, especially at night,” sioner’s office, the Sir John A. MacDonald Room now serves as a grand says Stantec’s Vancouver-based principal Noel Best. “You can really reception space with its fireplace restored and neo-classical details highlighted in gild to showcase Canadian art work. Its competition win- look right into the building and see it happening.” ------ning carpet, Foothill, is designed by Saskatchewan artist Sean William ------Randal and translated into a carpet by Toronto’s Creative Matters. Right Second was the restoration of the building’s many original skylights The cube-shaped B.C. Room is one of the 16 rooms named for Canada’s provinces, territories and oceans. Reflecting the use of regionally spe- including two delightful oculi in the Ontario and B.C. rooms. A raft of cific bespoke carpets, furnishing, lighting and art: the round area carpet closely packed and unsightly “dog house” skylights were replaced by “Natural Vision” is by B.C. artist Leslie Robert Sam (LeslIE); the ash flat glazing, now integrated into the large roof deck terrace that over- seating and coffee table/credenza by Vancouver’s Bombast Furniture and Brent Comber respectively; and the light fixture, Cumulus, by Pro- looks Trafalgar Square and ensures an attractive “fifth” elevation from pellor. Art includes Stan Hunt’s mask Super Natural Raven and Gathie surrounding buildings. The skylights also bring light into the reintro- Falk’s painting Pieces of Water #8 Photos: Ben Blossom CANADIAN INTERIORS 5/6 2016 42 43 duced two-story College of Physicians library space that now serves as Another favourite Campbell saying is “look down at every turn.” One open office space for the Trade Office and an upper mezzanine con- downward glance and his meaning is obvious. With the return of wood taining library space for Giller Prize winners and an Inuit art gallery. - floors, acoustics mandated area carpets, but not just any off-the-shelf ------rugs. Instead, arts communities in each province or territory were ap- In Cockspur, a relatively tight but full-height skylight atrium was proached for submissions. 29 designs from 16 artists where then con- stripped of its non-functioning marble fountain and replaced with a verted into hand tufted wool carpets by Toronto’s Creative Matters for grand “cascading” stair. Structured to step out into the space of the meeting and function rooms. This included four from Winnipeg-based newly named Queen Elizabeth Atrium, each run of this scissor stair- multi-media artist Denise Préfontaine and two from P.E.I. painter case is washed with eastern sunlight turning it into warm platforms Norma Jean Maclean, including her haunting early spring light on for social interaction. Stair treads and a massive feature wall are of buildings in a coastal landscape for the P.E.I. room. ------rich hemlock, part of the strong wood theme employed throughout. ------With the carpets literally as a base, the team worked with the Depart- A Return to Grace ------ment’s own design group to identify Canadian furniture manufacturers. Lost or compromised heritage details have been meticulously restored. Rodych reached out to Stantec’s many provincially-based interior Inelegant outdoor carpeting was stripped, exposing marble flooring design leaders to identify the best bespoke designers. This region- that was brought back to its original sheen. Where required, new care- specific sourcing included chairs, tables, credenzas and lounges, al- fully matched marble sourced from Canada was used, and Canadian though where boardroom-type chairs were not available, commercial Shield granite was introduced in Cockspur’s public lobby. As Canada furniture firms from Ontario and Quebec, including Teknion, Nien- is the world’s largest exporter of lumber, Campbell (not incidentally kämper, Krug and Keilhauer, filled in. Through an intensive iterative past-Premier of lumber-rich B.C.) wanted wood used at every oppor- process, multiple bespoke objects were commissioned that eloquent- tunity, says Stantec’s London-based principal, Aaron Taylor. Thus, ly reflected the climate, landscape, plants, wildlife and human arti- Left Highlighting Canada’s abundant wood is a theme carried throughout domestic red oak flooring, detailed with intricate parquetry inlays and facts characteristic of the named room. ------Canada House. The Queen Elizabeth Atrium boasts a feature wall of rich stained dark to match extant mahogany doors and handrails, was re------hemlock with the same wood used for the underside of the stairs. Above The credenza and feature wall in the Pacific Room are by Vancouver’s introduced along with maple and walnut in other locations. ------The same mix of manufactured and bespoke products was adopted for Hinterland and is constructed from B.C. lodge pole pine harvested from ------lighting. Canada has a strong reputation for its LED lighting industry, stands destroyed by the province’s devastating pine beetle infesta- Where neo-classical detailing had been destroyed, old photos and thus Cockspur’s offices and all the named rooms boast contemporary tion. The wood is finished with hand-rubbed oil and clear wax. Below The adjacent Cockspur Building has been integrated with the original squeezes of remaining details were used to manufacture replicates. A lighting fixtures manufactured in Canada and, where possible, manu- Canada House to consolidate all the High Commission’s employees and rich, off-white pallet replaced light-sucking yellow, while friezes and factured regionally, such as the Cumulus fixture by Vancouver-based services into one central location. Reflecting state-of-the-art office other details were picked out in gold leaf to accent deeply coffered Propellor hanging below the B.C. Room’s oculus. For some rooms, be- design, its completely rebuilt interior introduces open, flexible work- ing spaces with lots of light and a generous mix of richly textured and ceilings and panelled walls. Original and still-in-use brass door han- spoke fixtures were commissioned, including three by Toronto’s AM coloured collaborative “nooks.” dles employing a maple leaf motif were recast to create approxi- Studio Lighting in the Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario rooms. - mately 100 additional ones used elsewhere in the building, adds ------Cindy Rodych, Stantec’s project leader (now principal of Wnnipeg- The most spectacular is by Omar Arbel of Bocci. His slim, chaotically based Rodych Integrated Design). ------entwined metal strands and glass globes (“snowflakes, although more ------amorphous,” says Rodych) cascade down through the core of the ul- A Design Showcase ------tra-thin, gravity defying main staircase profile in Canada House’s el- Canada House’s light-intensive functional revitalization and rich heri- egant main entrance. It is evocative in its own right but its “struc- tage restoration stand on their own merits. But crucially, both work tural quietness ensures it does not detract from the showcase stair,” well to provide worthy galleries that showcase probably the largest adds Rodych. ------out-of-country Canadian collection of historic and contemporary art, ------as well as domestically commissioned bespoke and manufactured fur- More than a sum of its parts ------niture and lighting. To be inclusive, all of Canada House’s meeting With typical Canadian modesty, Campbell finishes our tour by saying, rooms bear the names of Canada’s 10 provinces, three territories and “blend don’t brag.” Similarly, Best concludes, “Canada House is not three oceans. Major event rooms take their monikers from four promi- about some sort of radical intervention, it is more about careful, incre- nent Prime Ministers: MacDonald; Laurier; Borden and Mackenzie mental steps. We could call it “layering on,” but basically it was about King. The task was to populate each with art and furnishings that always being ready to backtrack and reconsider. At the end of the day spoke to and came from their identified region. ------we made sure we were consistent in how we married the two.” ------In addition to their artistic merit, the selected artwork was carefully Notwithstanding its cohesive balance of old and new highlighted by assessed and digitally mocked-up to ensure they responded well optimistic colour and rich materiality, all washed by natural light and within each room’s physical characteristics. “We [were] very careful marked by transparency, Canada House emerges as both a striking about where we have introduced art into the spaces, incorporating showcase and a fitting home-away-from-home for Canadians. - - - - - works even into the design of the friezes and the design of the mould------• ings around the walls,” explains Taylor. Of 281 pieces, 91 were newly acquired, including 44 financed through donations (in order to side- — For more on this project, read the full interviews with Aaron Taylor and Noel Best, step the $25,000 limit for single acquisitions). ------both from Stantec Architecture, and Cindy Rodych, principal, Rodych Integrate

------Design Inc. canadianinteriors.com Photos: Noel Best (top left to right); Ben Blossom (right) CANADIAN INTERIORS 5/6 2016 44 45 5/6 2016 CANADIAN INTERIORS