Dundas Museum renovation enhances local history, respecting heritage and the environment
Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature
The $1.4 million Dundas Museum Renovation near Hamilton, Ontario, will almost double the building’s size and unify two distinct structures, improving accessibility and enhancing local history. Designed by McCallum Sather Architects (MSA) and constructed by Collaborative Structures Ltd., the project has included work on the museum and on the adjacent Pirie House. The 138-year-old home acquired 40 years ago has been integrated with the museum’s main building. The building combination helped to solve the accessibility challenge. “By creating a new main and accessible entrance we were able to integrate the two buildings and add the elevator feature here,” said McCallum Sather principal Drew Hauser. “We used materials reflective of the industrial heritage of the area like heavy timber and exposed metal detailing but refined versions,” he said. “We layered natural materials in the new entry which connects the two existing buildings in a light-filled gallery.” The designers needed to consider the museum’s surroundings. There is a private home behind the museum which had to be respected, and there was a desire not 16 – Spring 2013 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
to copy, and therefore take away from the heritage architecture. Hauser says the designers sought to reflect the area’s history and add in a subtle way to the museum. Hauser says the museum has a large collection, not all of which is on display, so larger and less light-sensitive pieces will be moved to the atrium and will be visible from outside. “There are beautiful gardens in the area so we have carried the traditional landscaping of the neighbourhood to the museum, creating a procession from the sidewalk to the building and created an intimate gathering space,” he said.
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