678 MAIN STREET: OLD DOMINION BANK BUILDING & ADDITION
Year: 2007 Location: Winnipeg, MB Client: BridgmanCollaborative Architecture Award: Heritage Winnipeg Preservation Award for Excellence, Commercial Conservation Award As the home of BridgmanCollaborative Architecture, this historic building holds special significance both for our firm and for the city of Winnipeg. Located on the edge of downtown at the Higgins Avenue and Main Street hub, the restoration of our building (in 2007) has contributed to re-invigorating the North Main neighborhood and surrounding area. The award-winning restoration reveals a magnificent building that otherwise may have been lost through neglect and demolition. The two-storey terra cotta building has been a significant part of Main Street’s streetscape since 1907. The building features massive fluted columns with Ionic capitals and plain bases; squared, attached pilasters with more subdued capitals and bases; and large double windows. The historic Dominion Bank Building was boarded up in 1985 and remained vacant for over twenty years. Our new addition to the building (made from recycled Tyndall stone, steel, and glazing panels) offers a landmark entrance to Winnipeg. The Golden Girl mural (on the north façade of the building) -- by Charlie Johnston, Jennifer Johnson Pollock and Mandy van Leeuwen -- was painted in 2002. The series of new windows inserted into the mural results in a unique trompe-l’oeil effect, while infusing the whole office with natural light. Our garden, with stones from Winnipeg's Old City Hall (demolished in 1962), offers a welcome urban oasis. 
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