Block 63 restoration
In order to bring our clients at Block 63’s vision to life of restoring the historic Pioneer Meat Market Building and the Calgary Milling Company Building we were tasked with converting the existing Art Gallery of Calgary and supportive office space into a multilevel and multipurpose event space and separate upper floor office space. The space required careful restoration of the since covered, existing sandstone walls, to their original condition and many mechanical, electrical upgrades and building code upgrades. The main goal was to expose the 100+ years of history in the building, to enhance and highlight the original design and structural elements.
The venue, know as The Pioneer, is a tailored event space and experience, all rooted in revitalizing and rejuvenating one of Calgary’s most iconic Avenues – Stephen Avenue. The Pioneer is comprised of multiple spaces, including The Tall Gallery, The Mezzanine and The Mill. The Mill is a street-facing extension of The Pioneer’s main floor, equipped with a separate entrance and the ability to be closed off by a sliding glass and iron door from the rest of the venue. The Mezzanine is the upper level of The Pioneer, which has an open view to the main floor. The Tall Gallery is the lower level of The Pioneer, and has a 24’ ceiling. These spaces are rented for a variety of events including weddings, cultural and retail pop-ups, temporary storefronts and corporate meetings or retreats.
Cleo Energy is a junior oil and gas company, who moved into the top floor of Block 63’s renovation project. This retrofit required a number of offices, kitchen, boardroom and break out space for reviewing large scale maps and an occupancy change. Exposing the existing sandstone walls gave every office a little piece of history within their space.
