Paradise Theatre Restoration

Toronto, Canada

Originally built in 1937, the Art Deco Paradise Theatre was recently restored, with work being completed in 2020.

Paradise Theatre Restoration

Toronto, Canada

Originally built in 1937, the Art Deco Paradise Theatre was recently restored, with work being completed in 2020.

The heritage building and adjacent single-storey retail annex underwent renovations to restore and convert the existing theatre into an event space, add a second storey and exterior terrace to the retail annex, and renovate the retail area to accommodate a restaurant.

The façade of the structure was protected by heritage designation, and its retention presented challenges to the contractor with respect to the staging of the work. The developer retained Entuitive to provide our construction engineering services, assisting the contractor in engineering a façade retention structure that was coordinated with the staged demolition and steel erection sequence for the interior structure.

Entuitive also investigated and specified repairs to deteriorated structural elements, as necessary, to reinstate the safe load-carrying capacity of the existing structure, and to accommodate the new structure and new interior finishes.

In addition, our team worked with the contractor to develop an excavation shoring scheme to allow adjacent roadways to remain open while waterproofing existing rubble foundation walls.

location

Toronto, Canada

Client

Craft Development Corporation

Peter Stokes Award for Restoration

Architectural Conservancy Ontario

Craftsmanship in Built Heritage

Heritage Toronto Awards

Architect

Ware Malcomb, ERA Architects

Role

Structural Restoration Consultant

Award of Excellence in Conservation – Architecture

Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals’ (CAHP)

Challenge

At the roof level on the east façade of the structure there is a curving brick band that has been designated by the City of Toronto to have high heritage value. Temporarily supporting the brick band presented major structural challenges, since much of the foundation wall and ground-floor structure below had to be removed and reconstructed.

Solution

Entuitive worked closely with the heritage preservation consultant to design a façade retention shoring system to preserve this masonry. The design of this shoring also had to be carefully coordinated with the steel erector, foundation underpinning contractor, and concrete contractor to establish a design that would not impact the construction sequence for the restoration and addition work, and limited encroachment onto the sidewalk on Bloor which remained open during construction.

Learn more about how Entuitive approaches engineering challenges, and discover why Engineering Performance matters for your project.

Paradise Theatre Restoration