Old Quebec Street

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What used to be the old Eaton Centre in downtown Guelph is now re-born as Old Quebec Street!  Using a budget of $8.5 million, the front was rebuilt to lose the stigma of the Eaton Centre and a new cut stone and glass facarde was installed with a steeply pitched gable roof with skylights. All upstairs spaces were made into office space from what were retail stores that now house the Ontario Provincial Offences Courthouse, approximately 14 general practitioner doctors, a renal clinic, a medical lab, x‑ray laboratories and other businesses. Downstairs spaces were kept for retail stores.

 

The entire second floor common corridor space down the center of the mall was removed and the roof was opened along the length of the street and an automatically operating skylight was installed.  The skylight gives the property a bright airy feeling and the opening skylight does an excellent job of conditioning the air so there is never a time (even in the hot summer) that the building feels too hot.  This heating and cooling system provides large savings in energy and of course green house gases. All of the common space was previously air conditioned however it was removed during the renovation.  The skylight opens when the temperature inside and out is hot and if it is not raining. The skylight will automatically close if it rains. The automatic skylight takes away the need for air conditioning in the common area of this building which is in actual fact the indoor street.

 

Winter heating is achieved with a hydronic in‑floor heating system placed in with the polished concrete floor of the street. Temperatures are purposefully kept on the low side in the winter so shoppers can keep their coats on when entering from outside to the indoor street.  The street appears old with facades made of split natural stone or bricks, both were alternated to give more authenticity to the street. The upper office levels have wooden double hung sash windows over looking the street.  The stores have traditional storefronts made of wood frames and glass in some cases using divided lights. All of the storefronts were modeled from photographs of the old part of Quebec City.