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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 | 59 Fairmont Hotel Macdonald Renovation R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y H I R S C H B ED N ER A SS O C I AT E S FAIRMONT HOTEL MACDONALD RENOVATION by ROBIN BRUNET A delicate touch: that's how those involved in the reno- vation of the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald describe the design philosophy and execution of this 109-year-old Edmonton icon. Cole Millen, general manager of the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald (which still awaits a refresh of its main lobby space), explains, "Although the work mainly entailed repainting, new plumbing in the guest rooms, and a rethinking of elements such as carpeting and other treatments rather than major structural work, the scope of the project was enor- mous and included guest rooms plus our seven communal spaces: vir- tually every corner of the hotel. "At all times, the intent was to hon- our and preserve the heritage of this facility. And while we worked with professionals such as Hirsch Bedner Associates [HBA] that had exten- sive experience refreshing Fairmont properties, Fairmont doesn't fol- low a template. We regard each of our hotels as unique, and therefore any refresh is developed organically." Edmontonians' love of their hotel's history became evident in 2019, when the initial proposal to renovate the Fairmont's Confederation Lounge was released and immediately con- sidered too contemporary. As the design evolved further, management assured local media that the histori- cal elements of the space – including the Fathers of Confederation painting above the fireplace, the ceiling mould- ings, and the wood panelling – would remain, but that the heavy tables and chairs that made it hard for people to manoeuvre would be refreshed. The Lounge renewal began in 2022. As for the famous Empire Ballroom (which, along with the Wedgewood Room, was a designated historical site), restoring the ceil- ing to its original splendour took over 1,000 hours of work, includ- ing hand-painting it in gold. In terms of volume, refreshing 165 of the hotel's 198 guest rooms was the biggest challenge. Meghann Day, principal interior designer at HBA, says, "We worked extensively with the operators, their interior design department, and studied local influ- ences, the latter of which resulted in a considerable amount of archival photos for display that would rein- force the hotel's heritage. Work on the guest rooms included adding stone countertops, 'rain' showers to replace the baths, new lighting, and beds." The refresh included opportuni- ties to dazzle guests. "The corridors of the guest rooms are a real stand- out with rich blue vinyl, gold accents, and the historic photos," Millen says. Day adds, "Imparting ele- gance was an overarching goal, from floor patterns to furniture." Spencer Jones, construction man- ager at TRIP Contracting, explains the degree of delicacy that was required to preserve the Fairmont's historic elements. "There were so many lay- ers of paint and old plaster that could spall if you pressed too hard, so the painters had to be extremely care- ful." In many cases, spalling had to be painstakingly scraped out and restored by plaster specialists. Work began on the sixth floor and ended on the second, with each level requiring free access to the floor below to tie in the plumbing. "In some of the guest rooms the old cast iron tubs were recessed into the con- crete slabs, so we had to cut them out and level the surface before the new showers could be installed," Jones says, adding that new plumb- ing fixtures emphasized water usage efficiencies and conservation. Peter J's General Contracting Ltd. was retained to renovate the Confederation Lounge. The com- pany states: "From review and protection of historic aspects of the space, replacement of the existing bar's large granite surface, hang- ing of the 1,000-pound, 13-foot-wide chandelier, levelling of the substrate to accommodate large 33-inch square wooden floor tiles, and restoration of small details, this project provided great challenges, and we accepted and overcame them as a team." Ownership anticipates working on the lobby as well as the Harvest Room mid- to late next year. Millen says, "The lobby is still in the early design process but we're hoping to open up the front desk a bit more. In the meantime, we'll take a break so guests can appreciate what has already been accomplished – and the feedback has been nothing short of tremendous. We couldn't be more happy that this historic hotel is attracting so much excitement." A LOCATION 10065 100 Street, NW Edmonton, Alberta OWNER /DEVELOPER Innvest Hotels - Fairmont Hotel Macdonald ARCHITECTS Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) (guest rooms and meeting spaces); Navigate Design (Confederation Lounge) GENER AL CONTR ACTOR TRIP Contracting TOTAL COST $11 million

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