Download Administration Building - Facilities Management Division

007
Administration
Building
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register
November ■ 2014
007
Administration
Building
Alternate Names
New Administration Building, Administration Building
Addition
Architect(s)
Clifford Wiens, Wiens Johnstone Architects, Regina
Builders
Penn-Co Construction
Figure 1. Tyndall stone and
greystone above a precast
concrete base.
Construction Dates
1985-1987
Recognition
N/A
1. Statement of Significance
Figure 2. Painted concrete wall.
Figure 3. Grey ceramic tile.
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-62
The Administration Building was built in response to the
slow decline of the MacKinnon Building, parts of which were
declared unsafe due to structural failure in 1979. The choice
was made to build new building adjacent to the old structure
and construction began in 1985, with the building opening in
1987. The Administration Building was designed by Clifford
Wiens, one of Saskatchewan’s most notable architects of the
20th Century. Clifford Wiens began his practice in Regina in
1956. He has earned Canada’s highest award for architecture,
the Massey Medal, three times. The Administration Building
exhibits Wiens’ trademark use of simple tectonic forms and
original construction details. The building cost $6.6 million and
comprised 4,646 square meters, giving it office space equal to
that of the MacKinnon Building. Many interior spaces in the
Administration Building are defined by the enclosure of the
exterior walls of the MacKinnon Building. A small courtyard
to the north of the building was enclosed as an addition to the
Administration Building in 1997. The addition is beyond the
scope of this report.
Note: The Administration Building is configured with floors
numbered, Ground Floor, First Floor and Second Floor. This
report follows the same convention.
Figure 4. A 1985 architect’s rendering of the Administration Building. The entrance canopy was later removed. An addition
in the form of a glazed atrium now takes its place. Photo A-3463, retrieved from University of Saskatchewan Archives.
2. Character - Defining Elements
2.1 Materials
The exterior materials of the Administration Building are in keeping
with those of the MacKinnon Building to which it is an addition.
‘Greystone,’ which has come to characterize the University of
Saskatchewan campus, is the primary exterior material. Greystone
is complemented by cut Tyndall stone. Precast concrete panels
form a base for the exterior walls. (For further information on
building stones used at the U of S, refer to ‘Appendix: Stone’.)
All three of these materials are illustrated in Figure 1 and are in
excellent commemorative condition. Glazing is modern in its
materiality, featuring double-glazing and aluminum frames.
Painted exposed concrete is a primary element on the interior of
the building and a character-defining material (Figure 2). Concrete
columns are also left exposed throughout the building. The main
stair features a balustrade made of concrete. The concrete is often
accompanied by grey tile which appears on window sills, around
the bases of columns and as a cap on the concrete balustrade (Figure
3). Doors in the building are either oak (Figure 5) or painted steel.
Door hardware has a brass finish, also shown in Figure 5. Painted
steel is used for handrails and balustrades (Figure 6).
Figure 5. Brass-finish door handle.
Figure 6. Painted steel balustrade.
Administration Building ■ 7-63
2.2 Form & Style
The Administration Building is Post-Modern in style, featuring
references in form, detail and materiality to the historical
architecture of the campus, but simplified in its detail. As
illustrated in the architect’s rendering shown in Figure 4, the
Administration Building takes its scale and formal cues from the
adjacent MacKinnon Building. The building is roughly T-shaped
in plan, connecting to the back of the MacKinnon Building with
a recessed entrance and lobby. Originally the entrance was
marked by a triangular canopy (Figure 7), which was removed
during a later expansion. The front face of the building features a
shallow bay with a gabled roof line, referencing similar details on
the MacKinnon Building and other collegiate gothic examples
(Figure 8). The height of the Administration Building, at three
storeys above grade, roughly matches that of the MacKinnon
Building.
P
C
E Y
N
W
O
N
Bio
Processing
Centre
Maintenance
Energy Centre
103
N O R T H
A C C E S S
110
Y
A
W
I L
A
I C
I F
C
108
L.F. Kristjanson
Biotechnology
Complex
D
I A
D
A
N
A
A
R
R D
C
112
D R I V E
R E S E A R C H
The Atrium
SRC
Analytical
Laboratories
R O A D
411
Dr. Burton Craig
The
Galler
DOWNEY ROAD
Innovation Place
Research Park
Dr. Jack McFaull
Waste
Management
Facility
Road
Closed
RT
MUNROE AVE
RIV
ITY
D
RS
IVE
UN
CLARENCE AVE
Underground Walkway
Emmanuel
& St. Chad/ St. Thomas
Chapel
More
Rugby
College
Chapel
OF
ANI
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H
HEALT
R O A D
I N
A R
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R
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W
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Kirk Hall
Engineering
Curling
Rink
Poultry
Science
E
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Rutherford
Rink
M
Athabasca
Hall
University
Club
F
A
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S
U M
S I
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NRC - Plant
Biotechnology
Institute
P
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Archaeology
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AC
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PL
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Place
Memorial
Union
A
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B
P L
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Kinesiology
Physical Activity
Complex (PAC)
Animal
Science
Livest
Resea
Stone
Barn
Figure 11. The location of the
Administration Building is indicated in
green on this contemporary campus
map.
C O L L E G E
D R I V E
C A M P U S
D R I V E
Stadium
Parkade
Ball Fields
4
3
Transit Hub (Saskatoon Transit and university
Royal University Hospital
C
C
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W
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ON
T E R I N A RY
Louis’ Beach
Volleyball
M
service vehicles only)
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A
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N
A
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T
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A
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ADMIN PL
V
McLean Hall
TW
D
A
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H
T
R
N
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A
O
R
N T A
D E
L
Observatory
A V E N U E
Buildings Under
Construction
University of Saskatchewan Heritage
Register
■ 7-64
VE
L
Marquis
Nobel
Place Hall Qu'Appelle
Plaza
Palliser Hall
Riel
MacKinnon
Garden
Qu'Appelle
Saskatchewan
Administration
Hall Addition Voyageur Hall
S
W I G G
I N
L
E
D R I V E
WIGGINS AVENUE
NT
CR
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CE
ME
MO
RIA
L
H O S P I
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E-Wing
Expansion
R T
(Library)
Figure 9. Reference to keystones in the
MAP LEGEND
stonework above the windows.
Buildings
E
Physics
H
E UR
C O L L E G E
R O
A D
U
E
Murray
Y
T
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O
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I V
Memorial
Gates
Dental
Clinic
T
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Little
Stone
School
E D U C
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St. Andrew's
College
AC
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PL
I V
John
Mitchell
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ID
W'S
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BR
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Toxicology
Centre
P
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Geology
A
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SC
Biology
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(W.P. Thompson)
Arts
Health
Sciences
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Thorvaldson
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Agriculture
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Western
College of
Veterinary
Medicine
Research
Annex
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A R
D
PL
Heating
Plant
P L A C
Edwards School
of Business
BO T TOM
LE
H
PL
CO
Food Animal
R.J.F. Smith Centre Clinical Sciences
For Aquatic Ecology (Bovine) Facility
Figure 10. Narrow windows.
TA S H
Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada
BOTTOMLEY AVE
T
A
K
.
D
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W AY
R
PO
V
I
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KE
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Grounds
Greenhouse
University
Services
Law
RUH Parkade
Royal
University
Hospital
A
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P
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Saskatoon
Cancer Centre
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B
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DI
S C I E N C E
The
Administration
Building was constructed
as an addition to the
MacKinnon
Building
which was at the
time
slowly
losing
its function due to
structural degradation.
Its location adjacent
to
the
MacKinnon
Building, (Figure 11),
was necessary as it was
intended to become
the new administrative
center of the university.
M
UN
NT
O A D
Food Centre
Education
C
IDE
R
Peterson
Diefenbaker
ES
CANADIAN WILDLIFE CRT
R I
V E
R
A N
urts
is Co
Inte
Vacc
(In
Environment Canada
Canadian Wildlife
Service
Canadian
Light Source
Synchrotron
Tenn
Canadian Food
Inspection Agency
R Y
N A
R I
T E
V E
Ball Field
9
C
PR
E
E N T
C R E S C
R Y
S E M I N A
Ball Field
10
Ellis Hall
President's
Residence
I V
Ogle Hall
2.3 Location
Hantelman
R
Ball
Field 11
Lutheran
Theological
Seminary
Irene and Leslie Dubé
Centre for Mental Health
D
Agriculture
Greenhouse
Figure 8.
Abstracted references to
Collegiate Gothic forms.
SED
Systems
H
Figure 7. Triangular entrance canopy,
now demolished. Photo A-7071, retrieved
from http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/uofs_
events/articles/1956.php
C
A R
S E
R E
The exterior stone detailing references historical precedents
in materiality and form, but is abstracted through the use of
simplified ornamentation. For example, cut Tyndall stone is
used as a trim around window openings, but the lintel is given
an exaggerated depth and a reference to a keystone above the
windows is highly abstracted (Figure 9). Cut Tyndall stone is
also used at the parapet
and scuppers along
the roofline.
These
exterior stone details are
character-defining.
C R E S C E N T
U
S T A D I
Graham
PotashCorp Huskie
Clubhouse
Park
Ball Field
2
West
Stands
Ball Fields
5
6
Concession
Ball
Field
1
Griffiths
Stadium
Visitors
Clubhouse
Saskatoon
Field House
East
Stands
Figure 13. Central stair in the atrium.
Figure 12. Original ground floor plan of the Administration
Building. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset
Record System, File AB-671-AB.
2.4 Spatial Configuration
The Administration Building is a three-storey office building, each
floor similar in layout. An east wing contains flexible office space
(Figure 12), later fit out with demountable walls. The open plan
of the office wing has allowed for its reconfiguration many times
since the building’s construction. The central wing connects the
building back to the MacKinnon Building, and houses the entrance
lobby, a grand staircase, as well as services such as washrooms,
storage, receiving and mechanical rooms. The building links to the
MacKinnon Building on all three of its levels.
Figure 14. Exterior wall of the MacKinnon
Building enclosed in the Administration
Building.
The three levels of the Administration Building are connected
vertically by a central stair, located in a glazed atrium space
(Figure 13). The atrium is built up against the former exterior
wall of Convocation Hall, part of the MacKinnon Building,
such that the old stone wall now forms a interior feature of the
Administration Building. This strategy is repeated at many other
locations throughout the building (Figure 14).
Administration Building ■ 7-65
Figure 15. A perspective drawing of the ‘arrival court.’ A small outdoor courtyard was located to the left of the
entrance canopy. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset Record System, File AB-671-AB.
As it was originally constructed, the entrance to the Administration
Building was set back to form an exterior courtyard between it
and the MacKinnon Building. The courtyard was bisected by
a walkway, covered in a triangular canopy, leading to the main
entrance (Figure 7 & 15). In 1997, a large, triple height atrium was
added to the north side of the building, enclosing the courtyard.
A new paved forecourt with low stone walls was added to the
north of the new addition.
2.5 Systems
Figure 16. The Administration Building
during construction. The concrete walls
are visible. Photo A-7037, retrieved from
http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/uofs_events/
articles/1956.php
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-66
The structural system of the Administration Building is a castin-place concrete frame and floors, except for the roof which
is supported by steel. Figure 16 illustrates the building under
construction with the concrete components exposed. The
concrete exterior walls and columns are faced in greystone on
the exterior, but are exposed on the interior. Exposed concrete
also forms the structure of the central stair and the balustrades
surrounding the atrium. The exposed concrete structure is a
character-defining element.
2.6 Use(s)
The Administration Building was constructed with the purpose
of accomodating the functions of the MacKinnon Building,
and houses administrative offices, meeting rooms, and some
student services. With the structural failures that plagued the
MacKinnon Building from 1979 until its restoration in 2005, a
new facility was needed to become the administrative centre of
the university. Most of the McKinnon Building was closed after
the completion of the Administration Building in 1987. The
Administration Building was built with large, open floor plans
to allow for maximum flexibility. Figure 17 illustrates an open
plan office in the Administration Building.
2.7 Cultural & Chronological Associations
Figure 17. Registrar’s Office, September
22, 1987. Photo A-7049, retrieved from
http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/uofs_events/
articles/1956.php
The Administration Building can be associated with its designer,
Clifford Wiens, Saskatchewan’s most celebrated architect. Weins
was born near the community of Glen Kerr, Saskatchewan, in
1926. He studied agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan
and art in Banff before his acceptance into the Rhode Island
School of Design, where he studied architecture. In 1956,
he began his forty year career as an architect in Regina. His
architecture is marked by innovative solutions to structural
problems, bold details and artistic composition of broad simple
forms. During his career, Wiens was honoured with three
Massey Medals. In 2011, Wiens received the Royal Architectural
Institute of Canada’s Gold Medal, in recognition of his significant
contribution to Canadian architecture.
The Administration Building may be associated with the
MacKinnon Building. Built in 1912, the MacKinnon Building
served for over seven decades as the administrative centre of the
university. The Administration Building was commissioned to
replace the older building when it was declared unsafe. When
the MacKinnon Building was renovated and restored to use, the
two buildings became physically and functionally linked.
Figure 18. 1938 portrait of Walter C.
Murray located in the Administration
Building.
Administration Building ■ 7-67
3. Associated Objects
The paintings of all former University Presidents are displayed in
the Administration Building. The 1938 portrait of the university’s
founding President, Walter Murray, is shown in Figure 18. A
large collection of other pieces of artwork from the university’s
art collection are also housed in the building. These pieces range
in date from the early 1920’s to the present and contain works by
renowned Saskatchewan artists such as Allen Sapp and Dorothy
Knowles.
4. Supporting Documents
Facilities Management Division (2012). Asset Resource Database
[Data File]. Retrieved from \\usask\fmddfs\files\iis\IIS_
Public\ARS.
University of Saskatchewan Archives. (Retrieved 2012). Campus
Buildings: New Administration Building. Retrieved from
http://scaa.sk.ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/
University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register ■ 7-68
5. Summary of Character - Defining
Elements
Materials ■ greystone walls
■ Tyndall stone trim
■ exposed concrete interior walls
■ painted steel balustrades
■ brass door hardware
Form & Style
■ 3-storey scale
■ abstracted ornamentation
■ elements referencing historical
forms in a simplified manner
Location ■ original location as an addition to the MacKinnon
Building
Spatial Configuration ■ link to MacKinnon Building
■ open office plans
■ main stair
■ atrium & skylight
■ shared walls with MacKinnon
Building
Systems ■ exposed concrete structure
Uses■ administrative functions
Cultural &
Chronological
Associations ■ Clifford Wiens
■ MacKinnon Building
Administration Building ■ 7-69