Design Guidelines for Redevelopment of the Churchill Wire Centre Building Site
The design guidelines, listed below, shall be used by architects, developers and the City in the event of a redevelopment of the Churchill Wire Centre Building site. Two façades of the 1945 corner building have been identified as historically and architecturally significant and merit designation as a Municipal Historic Resource. The allowable F.A.R. on the site means that at some time in the future, the owner may wish to redevelop the site to achieve a higher F.A.R.
The intent of these guidelines is to foster the design of a contemporary building which preserves and is sympathetic to the historic façades of the Churchill Wire Centre Building. Since the historic façades are designed in a particular style, it is desirable to design a modem structure which does not attempt to compete with the older structure by means of its own design features. It may be desirable for the new structure to serve as a backdrop or foil for the older building or to exhibit similar, or compatible design features.
1. Any new construction above the height of the designated façades, must be set back from the designated façades and use the façades as a podium in a podium-plus-tower composition. The tower portion of a new development must be set back from the line of the designated façades to allow the designated façades to appear free-standing and must not dominate when viewed from pedestrian level to the greatest extent possible.
A minimum setback of one structural bay for each tower façade facing a street or avenue is required (5 m (16.5 ft.) from each façade).
The design of new construction should consider and be sympathetic to the following design features of the historic façades of the Churchill Wire Centre Building:
(i) Modem Style - the Churchill Wire Centre is one of the best examples of this style of building in Edmonton. Typical modem style features of the Churchill Wire Centre include: a hard-edged and machine-like appearance, glass block windows, low relief geometrical designs, chevron motif relief's decorating the window spandrels, parallel horizontal window mullions, smooth faced exterior materials including white terrazzo, polished black granite and stainless steel.
(ii) "Classical" decorative motifs: - the decorative scheme of the Churchill Wire Centre uses stylized classical motifs including: dentils above the second floor windows, columns suggested by vertical emphasis between windows and flutes in the cast terrazzo panels flanking the main comer entry, the polished black granite on the lower façades suggest a stylobase or base to the structure above and the decorative bas-relief sculpture above the corner entry.
(iii) Proportions of the façades - the building exhibits a distinctly geometric appearance in which the wall expanses are broken up by the vertical piers, horizontal elements, windows, chevron motif spandrels and decoration.
(iv) Building Materials - while new construction does not necessarily have to use the same materials, any new material should be compatible with the existing white terrazzo, polished black granite, stainless steel and glass block.
(v) Architectural Detailing - The building displays features such as geometric decorative motifs, smoothly finished materials and custom designed fixtures. New development on this site could use these details in order to achieve a sympathetic or compatible design.
(vi) Roof treatment - while the building has a flat roof, it may be desirable that any tower on the site be designed with a distinct roofline in keeping with the Modem style of the historic building.
2. Prior to the is of any sign permits for any new development on this site, the developer shall establish sign criteria for exterior signs, and shall submit these for the approval of the Development Officer and Heritage Officer.
3. In order to implement these guidelines to the satisfaction of all parties, it is important that the owner and architect consult with the City of Edmonton Heritage Officer at the preliminary stage and throughout the design process.