Barron building has history on its side
There seems to be one very important element getting lost amid the war of words and lawsuits currently swirling around the iconic Barron Building: what it represents in the context of Calgary’s corporate history.
This building, which was completed in 1951, was the catalyst to Calgary becoming the corporate headquarter of Canada’s oilpatch.
“It’s a very important building because it was the seed that became what Calgary is today,” said Mark Burkart, founder and partner of the architectural firm, mckinley burkart.
“It was the first commercial highrise in Alberta and is one of a few remaining Art Deco buildings in the province.”
Imagine how different things might have been, had someone in Edmonton been willing to take the same risk rather than Jack Barron, back in 1949?
Barron built the building for $1 million in response to the lack of office space in both Calgary and Edmonton following the Leduc strike in 1947 and it was where companies the likes of Mobil, Shell, Halliburton and Sun set up shop.
And it’s this legacy — this history — that risks being lost should the building not be granted historical status and become subject to some ill-conceived redevelopment plans.
The good news, perhaps, is that Calgary is at a stage in the real estate cycle where the business case to gut the Barron building and make it into a leading-edge green structure while still maintaining its architectural relevance is not outside the realm of possibility.
“What it needs is a well-heeled institutional landlord who is willing to make it into the special place that it once was,” said Mike Kehoe, a broker with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate Inc.
Truth is, Calgary’s commercial real estate market — despite what many had expected would transpire two years ago as a result of the amount of new construction taking place — is remarkably robust. The downtown core absorbed an astonishing 3.75 million square feet last year — four times the 10-year average — new towers have been announced and yet real estate types are still predicting the office market will remain very tight.
According to Kehoe, there is tremendous demand for the type of office space that could be created at the Barron Building.
“People like the look, the architectural features, the high ceilings and the location,” he said.
The good news is there have been a number of buildings facing the same fate as the Barron were rescued by developers who could see beyond simply demolishing the old and putting up a new steel and glass edifice.
The work done at the Hyatt Hotel, incorporating the sandstone walls from 1866 into the current structure and the complete renovation of the Lougheed Building are two high-profile examples of this vision being put into practice — but the list also includes Fashion Central and Arts Central. Currently in process are the renovations being done to the old Alberta Hotel as part of The Bow office complex.
Another factor supporting preserving and renovating the Barron Building is that it stands as an important architectural link between two eras — the bridge between the sandstone structures characterized by places such as the Alberta Grain Exchange and the Lougheed Building and the towers of today.
As both Bob van Wegen of the Calgary Historical Initiative and Burkart point out, the building itself has significant architectural merit that should be preserved.
“It marks the transition from neo-classical architecture to modern architecture. . . . It’s a building that is almost Bauhaus in character but with elements of Art Deco,” Burkart said.
“It’s the sort of building that you would still see today in midtown Manhattan,” says van Wegen, adding that the transition from art deco to modern architecture is seen in the window style of the structure because that’s what was becoming a dominant feature in buildings built in that time period.
But perhaps it’s even more than the building.
Calgary has to do more with respect to preserving, respecting and honouring its history because it is an important message to send to places beyond — in the context of wanting to attract people to live and work in Calgary. The value of that message — that we haven’t forgotten the past — at a time when the energy sector is engaged in its “war for talent,” is critical.
It’s something we don’t do very well in this province.
No doubt this discussion is far from over.
One hopes a white knight, along the same lines that saw the value of other historical sites in downtown Calgary, will emerge in the coming months.
In the best of all possible worlds, the Barron Building reclaims its status as an important, functional part of corporate Calgary.
Getting there, however, will not only require vision and cash but also co-operation from the City of Calgary from the perspective that meeting the requirements such as adequate requirements could prove to be a challenge.
Maybe, Burkart suggests, it becomes a boutique hotel. Who knows? But as part of that process, no matter who takes it on, one hopes they will see merit in including a historical element that tells the story of corporate Calgary’s growth and the role played by the building itself. Think about it. Where else should Albertans, nay, Canadians, learn of the pace and trajectory of this city’s ascen- dance as the place that accounts for almost 26 per cent of the value on the S&P/TSX, which supports and fuels an industry that supports this country’s currency, balance of trade and economic growth?
Does it have warts? Probably. No one should think for a minute this would be a cheap or easy undertaking — but for the history of the city, as the Mastercard commercial says — the long-term value would be priceless.