A commentary by a Victoria resident.
While not surprised, I, along with the majority of speakers at the public hearing, writers of letters to the Times 91原创, and a majority of Victoria citizens who are not property developers, were saddened by the loss of visibility that Victoria council approved for the 1860 Northern Junk warehouses. The approved development buries those small but sole survivors of the 19th century gold rushes.
Senior heritage planner John O鈥橰eilly said, 鈥渕any people feel that an ideal solution to rehabilitate the building will materialize 鈥� but having reviewed the file and 11 years of attempts 鈥� staff are not convinced that there鈥檚 an ideal solution out there that involves no compromise,鈥� he said.
Despite all of that review, I am surprised the senior heritage planner and his staff didn鈥檛 suggest a heritage preservation approach that is not uncommon in Europe. In the vernacular, it is called 鈥渇raming.鈥�
Sometimes a small, important relic (鈥渏ewel鈥�) of historical importance occupies a large tract of land with potential development opportunity. If it is not possible for the 鈥渏ewel鈥� itself to remain 鈥渋n splendid isolation,鈥� 鈥渇raming鈥� is one solution. A neutral 鈥渇rame of new development鈥� would be designed that straddles the historic 鈥渏ewel鈥� but neither touches nor conceals it wherever there is possible public view.
In the case of 1314-18 Wharf Street, the frame would be an upside down (inverted) 鈥淯.鈥� Its two vertical legs would be separated from the south wall of 1314 Wharf and the north wall of 1318 Wharf (which might require purchase of a small piece of city land) by ideally two metres.
The top of the inverted 鈥淯鈥� would rest on the two vertical legs and 鈥渇loat,鈥� two metres, ideally above 1314-1318 Wharf. This 鈥淯鈥� frames the 鈥渏ewel,鈥� which are the warehouses, for the enjoyment of public passing in front (Wharf Street) or behind (Inner Harbour). At the same time this 鈥渇rame鈥� would have allowed some additional development that the majority of council seems to support.
Worthy of understanding is another heritage preservation tool which originates in Europe: 鈥淩espect鈥� mandates that a developer鈥檚 adjacent new development 鈥渞espects鈥� the importance of its landmark neighbour and does not overwhelm it.
For example: the rehabilitation of the Old Custom House on Wharf Street and additional new development on the Wharf/Government corner.
I felt that the 1937 鈥渕oderne鈥� federal offices were worth preserving given the scarcity of structures of this style in Victoria or the Capital Regional District.
Fortunately, the federal government preserved its cousin at the southwest corner of Government and Yates.
Sadly, there was no protection available for the moderne offices at Government and Wharf, neither by developer or the city.
Approaching from the causeway and Government Street, the new addition overwhelms the Old Customs House. Where鈥檚 the 鈥淩espect鈥�?
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