Delnor

Description

Delnor performed a full interior demolition and abatement of this building; during demolition and abatement, we worked with the consultant team and the client to provide costs savings to the initial design and finishes. Once completed, we began to renovate and refresh the building, which involved adding hybrid wood and steel joist to the underside of the second floor and roof. We then applied a fire spray cementious coating to all the floor joists on the main and second floor. The entire exterior of the building was cladded with light strips inserted into select cladding joints. We also installed polycarbonate sheeting for interior wall construction on two of the offices on the second floor.

Historically located in the Boyle Street neighbourhood, it is now part of the Quarters District. It is one of Edmonton’s oldest districts, which has become home for Indigenous and immigrant groups including Edmonton’s early Chinese community. To revitalize the new development following a decline in the 1970s, the City has invested in the rehabilitation of the district. The Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre is one of the few art spaces in the country dedicated to Indigenous art.

“The Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre is located in a simple brick commercial building that appears to be from the 1960s. The building sits on a highly visible site off Jasper Avenue, fronting the Armature, and near the valley edge overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. The name Ociciwan comes from a Plains Cree word relating to riverways, that means “the current comes from there.” This fluvial inspiration is seen in the most striking aspect of the design—a dynamic façade made of locally fabricated aluminum composite material. The architects designed four different standard panels, skewed at varying angles, and specified two types of applied film to give the façade various reflective qualities. The resulting surface reflects the sky and surroundings and has subtly changing qualities reminiscent of flowing water. It is also very affective at night, when LEDs incorporated into the vertical channels create beacon-like strips of light. A planned mural by Winnipeg artist Kenneth Lavallee will give further vibrancy to the building’s south façade at street level.” – The Canadian Architect Magazine, June 1, 2021.