A Marriage Of The Old & The New | Sussex Place, Victoria, BC
Using innovative shoring techniques helped preserve the integrity of a heritage façade that was incorporated into a modern office tower.
Since 1938, the brick and terra-cotta façade of the old Sussex Hotel has been a much admired part of the Victoria streetscape. In building a new office tower on the site of the Patrick Birley-designed building, Davenport developments wanted to retain as much of the flavour of the original architecture as they could. In discussions with the architect it was determined that the original façade could be preserved and incorporated into the new structure.
The final project design called for a 12-story office tower and a two-storey retail/commercial area with an open courtyard, built over two levels of underground parking--which is where the challenge lay. Because the two-level underground parkade extended directly below the heritage façade, there was concern that its integrity would be threatened. In addition, adjacent buildings might also be adversely affected by the underground development.
In collaboration with the architect, we developed several innovative shoring techniques to ensure the successful completion of the building. Before we undertook the foundation work we made sure that all nearby buildings underwent extensive underpinnings. We then designed temporary structures to support the façade and used shotcrete for the perimeter foundation walls as well as a structural backup for the existing façade.
The result: A modern office building that harkens back to its antecedents, making for a satisfying marriage of the old and the new.
Owner: Princeton Developments Ltd.
Architect: Paul Merrick Architects Ltd.