Heritage Register
Burnside
637 Bay Street
Bay Street Sub-Station
Built:
1928; 1974-76
Heritage-Registered
For: British Columbia Electric Power & Gas Company
Architects: Theodor Frederick Körner (1928);
Ojar Kalns (1974)
Contractors: Parfitt Brothers (1928);
George Henry Wheaton (1974)
ARCHITECTURE:
The Bay Street Sub-Station is a large, flat-roofed, reinforced
concrete structure in the Art Deco style with Egyptian
Revival motifs.
It is located on
a prominent
sloped corner lot
at the intersection
of Bay and
Government Sts,
on the northern
outskirts
of Victoria’s
central core. It is
distinguished by
a smooth exterior finish, geometric detailing, battered upper
walls, cavetto cornices, stylized pilaster capitals, stylized
company crests and a banded
base. The regular fenestration
includes massive, recessed
window openings on all four
elevations, deeply recessed
foundation windows and slit
windows. The landscaping includes banked ground planes,
unpainted board-formed concrete retaining walls and concrete
steps at the NW corner.
This is Victoria’s earliest
and most striking example of
Art Deco architecture, and
was one of the first Art Deco
structures in the province. The
Egyptian-inspired detailing is a
rarity in BC and recalls the interest generated with the discovery
of King Tutankhamun’s tomb six years earlier. This is a
significant example of the work of Theodor Frederick Körner
(1885-1946), who designed this structure while employed
by the Construction Department of BC Electric. Körner was
also responsible for other large-scale projects such as BC
Electric’s concrete power plant at Ruskin (1930).
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
The Bay St Sub-Station is valued for the key role it served in the B.C. Electric Company’s infrastructure. Formed in 1897, B.C. Electric was a driving force in the economy of the city and province through both the provision of power and the operation of transit systems, and remains in business today as B.C. Hydro. After its construction in 1928, this sub-station was the control centre for power distribution for the southern end of Vancouver Island, and was also the origin of the power lines that serviced the city’s streetcar system, and later the electric bus system. Its once remote location on the outskirts of the downtown core was due to its industrial function and the significant humming noise that emanated from the sub-station’s machinery.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
The Sub-Station is an early and rare example of the
preservation of Victoria’s industrial heritage. Developer
Jim Mace recognized the potential for adaptive reuse and
purchased the vacant building in 1966. The rehabilitation
work was finally carried out in 1974-76, and the cavernous
interior was infilled with three stories of office space.
The exterior was largely preserved, although the grey
concrete was covered with cream paint. The renovations
were designed by Ojar Kalns Architects of Vancouver.
The building has since been occupied by BC government
departments. The West Coast College of Massage Therapy
and the Victoria Immigrant & Refugee Centre Society are
now tenants.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:
• Statement of Significance (Canadian Register of Historic Places)
• Map of Victoria Heritage Register Properties
• Burnside History
• Burnside Heritage Register
• This Old House, Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods,
Volume Three: Rockland, Burnside, Harris Green,
Hillside-Quadra,
North Park & Oaklands
