Award

82 | FEBRUA RY 2017 Varscona Theatre PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN GRANT/COURTESY VARSCONA THEATRE Varscona Theatre by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI I n Edmonton's historic district of Old Strathcona stands the revamped and revitalized Varscona Theatre. It's difficult to imagine that on this very spot stood the old fire station, built originally in 1956 and converted into a theatre back in 1982. Perhaps even more difficult to imagine is converting a fire hall into a theatre and making such a great success of it, as the team at The Varscona Theatre Alliance Society (who lease the space from the City of Edmonton) had done for many years. But with an average of 300 plays and performances a year, a renovation and expansion was long overdue. "The building was never intended as a theatre. We were at a place where the building was falling apart because there was such heavy use on it," says John Hudson, executive director at Varscona Theatre. However, raising funds is never easy. "The original idea for the renovation started back in 2003. In 2009 the City of Edmonton came in with $2 million, and then we were fortunate to have the support of the former Alberta Minister of Culture Heather Klimchuk," adds Hudson. Funds for the project were raised by the Government as well as the local theatre community, with a little help from actor Nathan Fillion, who launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the project. Being located in a heritage neighbourhood posed some design challenges for architect Allan Partridge, Next Architecture (former principal and design lead for Group2 Architecture). "The building is in a Designated Provincial Historic Area, with restrictive guidelines. We fought long and hard to make the design of its time, place and context, opting for a simple facade with small details like sawtooth on the brickwork to give the building detailing," says Partridge. "The appearance ended up being more in keeping of its time as a 21st-century renovation, but paid homage to the neighbouring Walterdale Theatre and Strathcona Bus Barn in respectful ways," he adds. Using digital fabrication models of the glulam and nail laminated timber structure allowed sophisticated clash detection with the existing brick walls, and also allowed a dramatic wood structure that would meet the budget. However the team ran into some challenges during demolition. "For example, during excavation for new foundations, several older foundations and building materials were discovered. In some cases it was not cost effective to remove these old foundations so we either worked with them, or around them," says Shawn MacMillan, project manager at PCL Construction Management Inc. One such decision meant keeping the old hose tower at the back of the building. In order to maintain as much of the existing building structure as possible, structural engineers Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. undertook a detailed review of the existing building structure. Where necessary, upgrades were performed on portions of the existing building to ensure that the new, larger structure would be supported properly. "Maintaining some of the existing building meant that a large amount of construction material was diverted from the landfill. Some existing building materials such as masonry brick veneer were used as a fundraising opportunity resulting in these individual pieces also being diverted from local landfills," says MacMillan. Due to tight construction site constraints, the team needed to explore alternate strategies for the new building foundations. Steel helical screw piles foundations were selected due to the equipment height limitations imposed by building around the shell of the old fire hall structure. Jeff Rabinovitch, principal structural engineer with Read Jones Christoffersen, adds that, "Working with PCL Construction, we were able to determine that cost savings would be realized if the old steel roof of the fire hall was retained as long as possible during construction to provide temporary support for the old brick walls that were going to be incorporated into the new theatre chamber design. This decision constrained the available clear height for the piling rig needed to install the new foundations." While the entrance parapet to the one-storey theatre was originally designed to step down, structural issues resulted in a flared parapet that could pick up the loads. Large windows that wrap around the building and double glass doors that face northwest (and above which hangs the new Varscona Theatre sign that illuminates the building at night) ensure maximum light penetration into the lobby. As you enter in through the double doors, the colours inside draw inspiration from the region's topography making the space extremely inviting. One extremely forward- thinking aspect of the project was the design of the rehearsal space – Hudson credits Partridge for his ingenuity here. When the project was hit with a huge budget crunch, Partridge came up with a solution that would allow the team to retain their new rehearsal space. "By replacing a traditional slow seating rake with a high rake I realized we could tuck the rehearsal room under the theatre chamber, which would allow us to open it up and become part of the foyer," explains Partridge. Keeping the existing back-of-house area and basement also provided a cost- savings and was feasible as the area was structurally sound and contained great existing finishes such as the original 1950s terrazzo floors and stairs. This nod to the past continues as you head into the theatre. While the seating capacity has been increased from 175 to 200 seats, the theatre still retains its intimacy. "The theatre is steeply raked, so there is no blocking of your vision. We knew what we wanted and we were looking for something traditional; we wanted a Broadway feel and Allan gave us that," says Hudson. The new layout also includes a spacious control booth and electrical room. The upgrade in size to these rooms and the new equipment installed was a huge improvement from the original theatre, adds MacMillan. "Another new feature is the suspended steel catwalk that hangs above the audience. This catwalk is accessed directly from the control booth and allows the theatre quick access to control audio visual requirements," he explains. Williams Engineering was tasked with upgrading the electrical service to the building and replacing the aged electrical systems. "As the project was first delivered by creating a virtual building model in BIM software it allowed for seamless co-ordination among design and construction teams, and optimization of used resources," says Pawel Stefanczyk from Williams Engineering. "Working together with DWD we developed brand new theatrical lighting and sound system." Having such a passionate group of people involved in the project is undoubtedly a reason for its success, and today, as Hudson gets ready to open the doors for another great theatrical performance, he, and The Varscona Theatre Alliance Society (formed by members of Shadow Theatre, Teatro la Quindincia and Die-Nasty) look back on the project with great fondness. "To be able to have this kind of viewing and intimacy in a theatre is unmatched. Every time I am here, whether as a director or a member of the audience, I feel extremely proud of what has been achieved," says Hudson. A LOCATION 10329 – 83 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta OWNER City of Edmonton ARCHITECT Group2 Architecture GENERAL CONTRACTOR PCL Construction Management Inc. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Williams Engineering TOTAL SIZE 17,000 square feet TOTAL COST $4.8 million

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