Toronto Massey Hall Revitalization at the Allied Music Centre | 48.46m | 7s | KPMB

Skeezix said:
That's awesome news, and a very interesting article.
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I am curious as to how they will repair the Beethoven rondel. It looks a little shattered.

The other thing that I am super curious about is the pediment on the Shuter facade - according to the HIS, apparently there were scupltures in that space that were subsequently removed. What do they look like and where is it? I sincerely hope there will be an attempt to find out - and if that came up negative, they should seek to create something anew. Leaving it blank for the sake of "heritage" is a little too extreme for my tastes.

massey-hall-c-1900-jpg.69563

(UT: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...raphs-then-and-now.6947/page-870#post-1092141)

Too bad a good chunk of the archives was wiped out in the 40s (?) from a flood.

AoD
 
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AlvinofDiaspar said:
[...] The other thing that I am super curious about is the pediment on the Shuter facade - according to the HIS, apparently there were scupltures in that space that were subsequently removed. What do they look like and where is it? I sincerely hope there will be an attempt to find out - and if that came up negative, they should seek to create something anew. Leaving it blank for the sake of "heritage" is a little too extreme for my tastes. [...]
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I couldn't agree more. Much like the gargoyles on the Old City Hall tower, which were hacked off in the 1930s due to structural concerns but replaced in 2003 with that building's exterior restoration, the sculptures on the pediment should be replaced. My fear is that the sculptures won't be replaced due to financial constraints, which seems more likely than any austere view of heritage conservation. Although admittedly a decision made on the basis of the former could always (sadly) be justified on the basis of the latter.
 
Skeezix said:
I couldn't agree more. Much like the gargoyles on the Old City Hall tower, which were hacked off in the 1930s due to structural concerns but replaced in 2003 with that building's exterior restoration, the sculptures on the pediment should be replaced. My fear is that the sculptures won't be replaced due to financial constraints, which seems more likely than any austere view of heritage conservation. Although admittedly a decision made on the basis of the former could always (sadly) be justified on the basis of the latter.
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Great point referencing the Old City Hall gargoyles. Personally I am fine with leaving it to the near future, but I do want to see a commitment to this aspect (and I am not getting a sense of that from the HIS). I am actually inclined to think this isn't simply a cost issue (though it may very well be a factor) but a philosophical stance on heritage preservation - perhaps vis-a-vis the National Historic Site context?

Another issue is the colour of the plaster ceiling - according to the Issue 2 of the revitalization newsletter, the original colour is salmon with blue and green accents - but that has since between repainted grey. I wonder if there are any intention to go back to the original colour scheme (recognizing that they seem to be sticking largely with the 30s redo by and large).

AoD
 
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Do you think so? If that was the case, then arguably they ought not to have replaced the gargoyles on Old City Hall, also a NHSC.

However, I can never discount the possibility that HPS is caught up in some self-defeating theory of heritage conservation, as they do sometimes (e.g. All the windows of the restored Don Jail must have bars!). So you might be right.

They should be asked the pointed question.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
[...] Another issue is the colour of the plaster ceiling - according to the Issue 2 of the revitalization newsletter, the original colour is salmon with blue and green accents - but that has since between repainted grey. I wonder if there are any intention to go back to the original colour scheme (recognizing that they seem to be sticking largely with the 30s redo by and large).
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That's a very interesting question. When the Elgin and Winter Garden was restored, the original colours were meticulously reinstated. When the Pantages was restored, Garth Drabinsky "updated" the interior colours to be more contemporary (at least, insofar as 1989 was concerned).

Stories aside, Massey Hall is a bit different, because the 1930s redo elements are generally perceived to be part and parcel of the heritage resource (as I understand). Do we know if the grey was introduced in the 1930s?
 
Skeezix said:
That's a very interesting question. When the Elgin and Winter Garden was restored, the original colours were meticulously reinstated. When the Pantages was restored, Garth Drabinsky "updated" the interior colours to be more contemporary (at least, insofar as 1989 was concerned).

Stories aside, Massey Hall is a bit different, because the 1930s redo elements are generally perceived to be part and parcel of the heritage resource (as I understand). Do we know if the grey was introduced in the 1930s?
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According to p. 95 of the HIS/Conservation Plan, it was repainted "a soft grey" during the 1933 renovations.

AoD
 
The back of Massey Hall, with expansion starting soon, from the 20th:

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