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One of Canada’s greenest and most energy efficient conference centres to date opened in October 2009 after only 19 months of restorations. Once the Automotive Building at Exhibition Place, originally constructed in 1929, the new Allstream Centre is targeting to be the first LEED silver certified conference building in the country and is seismically sound, with a total size of 160,000 square feet, and a $46 million budget.

“Part of the construction project was a significant historical restoration of some beautiful ceiling work, and also new construction of innovative Interlam, walnut wood finishes, and a magnificent 200-square-foot travertine and limestone feature wall,” says Laura Purdy, director of sales and marketing for Allstream Centre.

The new space will be used to host galas, weddings, conferences, and exhibitions, and stands for environmental sustainability by featuring an innovative white reflective roof and rain harvesting system, improved indoor air quality through CO2 sensors, lighting control systems, and use of low-VOC paints, carpets, and adhesives, as well as FSC-certified wood products.

Project manager Kevin McKay of Vanbots Construction says the work was unusual because of the degree of change that went into the existing building. “We took it from a bare bones exhibit hall to a very luxurious conference facility,” he says.

Restoration of the walls and ceilings to their original appearance and colors took the use of traditional lime-based plaster mix on gypsum lath, and structural anchoring was improved throughout the building. Standard multi-tiered and drop-paneled gypsum make up the majority of the interior walls and ceilings, except for the ballroom, where there are whole walls of acoustic sound attenuating panels at either end. A large, textured accent wall within the centre is made of Interlam medium-density fibreboard (MDF) four-by-eight panels.

Allstream Centre also proudly features the second largest ballroom in North America – the chief structural challenge of the restoration. The 43,900-square-foot, column-free ballroom includes moveable 30-foot-high acoustic walls and now accommodates up to 3,000 guests. On the second storey, 20 meeting rooms of varying sizes provide minimal sound transmission, and a spacious corridor uses an abundance of natural light, wooden portals, and neutral colours creating a warm tone.

While the interior changed significantly, no major changes could be made to the exterior because it is a designated heritage building. “We had to preserve features that were still there, including exterior wall and windows. We restored the decorative elements of the exterior north and south walls. Overall, a lot of consideration went into those different things,” says McKay.

The exterior job entailed rebuilding two entrance columns at the north entrance, replacement of damaged carved stone features, masonry cleaning, brick replacement, mortar joint re-pointing, stitch repairs to major building corner cracks, and localized reconstruction of the bond between the interior brick and the exterior cast stone with helical anchors and pressure grouting.

There were other challenges involving time and space, but the project was completed within budget and completely on time. “The work went very well,” says McKay.

Steven Lanteigne, project manager for International Fixture Installations, oversaw the millwork wall finishes on the project. “In a historical building it is very challenging to adapt any new type of construction, especially finishing arch work, moulding and fitting it within an existing structure. The millwork on the project was an extremely precise application. An [existing] uneven floor also created a challenge in making the insulation look right.”
To overcome challenges, Lanteigne says working together with other trades was essential. “It was one of those projects that all trades really had to work together to make sure the final product met its full potential and full integrity.” Lanteigne attributes good project management and working with a “great crew, who are good at what they do,” for the timely completion of the project.

NORR Architects, led by NORR’s design principal, David Clusiau, provided full architectural, interior design, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering services for this project.

NORR was chosen to design the new centre because of its LEED expertise. NORR’s past projects include the programming of the Ottawa Congress Centre, the renovation and expansion of the Toronto Congress Centre, Oshawa’s General Motors Centre, and the South Okanagan Event Centre in BC.

“The failing state of the original gypsum roof panels, combined with the desire to create a huge, column-free ballroom space led us to completely replace the roof structure with cost-effective, long-span joists at 150 feet – the longest ever installed in Canada,” says Clusiau.

Lanteige finds the new building quite appealing and well-designed. “It was nice to see wood products, which became a big part of the centre, being brought into the architect’s theme. It gave the centre a unique appeal, and helped maintain the original building’s antique look.

“Overall this is a great accomplishment. It speaks volumes, and we are really happy to have been a part of basically reconstructing the centre to give it its new look. The building has such a historical past in the city, and this project really showed the great workmanship of the carpenters. It was a very prestigious job.”

Allstream Centre is a significant addition to Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre and is connected to it via an underground pathway, resulting in Canada’s largest and most modern convention and exhibition centre in the Direct Energy Centre/Allstream Centre Complex.

“I am excited about this redevelopment as yet another element in the ongoing rejuvenation of Exhibition Place,” says chair of the board of governors of Exhibition Place and deputy mayor, Joe Pantalone. “This supports the City’s important tourism industry.”