Jacque Carlu’s 1930 art moderne design for the 7th floor reflected the avant-garde modernism of Paris, showcasing Canadian materials and workmanship. When the store relocated to the Eaton Centre in 1977, the Eaton Auditorium and Round Room restaurant disappeared from the life of the city. For over 30 years the floor sat empty without services, its interiors partially demolished and decaying. In 2001 renovations began to reopen the national historic site as an event space called The Carlu, involving the restoration of all artwork, finishes and lighting, the incorporation of entirely new mechanical and electrical systems and the integration of new technologies and uses into the restored 1930’s spaces.

ERA Architects Inc. drafted a restoration plan that divided the floor into two basic areas, identified as front of house and back of house. Front of house spaces included the Foyer, Auditorium, Round Room and Clipper Rooms, comprising what were considered to be most important spaces to retain and carefully restore. Back of house spaces included the old kitchens, washrooms and backstage areas. These two zones were treated differently as to the level of restoration that would be applied, and level of alteration that could occur.

While the floor was heavily ruined, many decorative elements remained on site, and the main spaces were generally intact. ERA was able to reconstruct the original appearance through historical research and the use of archival photographs, original drawings, other work designed by the same architect, and articles written on the space by contemporary sources. Scientific paint analysis, oral histories and discussions with experts in the heritage field (stone and metal restorers, glass suppliers etc, especially when a material had a to be substituted due to unavailability or prohibitive cost) further enabled a reconstruction of this appearance.

The fountain, of thick black Vitrolite, Monel metal, black slate, and a frosted glass ziggurat cap, was one of the most thoroughly ruined elements of the floor, with mechanics and electrical elements lost, most glass elements lost or broken, slate smashed and many metal elements damaged. After exhaustive research into the original appearance and functioning of the piece, it was dismantled into numbered and photographed elements, with missing and broken pieces recrafted from as similar materials as possible.

Throughout the floor other elements ranging from delicate broken or missing light fixtures, decorative metal grilles, and Monel metal and bronze doors, to general construction materials such as marble panels and baseboards, birds eye maple and walnut panels and linoleum were matched as closely as possible to achieve the restored appearance. New elements such as bars, floor finishes and entirely new rooms were designed using the already existing materials and colour palate, and were installed in a reversible manner if the space warranted it.

It should be noted that the project was completed within the space of seven months, and met the $7 million budget, a success that evidences the strength of collaboration between the professional, client, contractor and City of Toronto team.

Jury Comments

The judges praised this stunning restoration which involved admirable research, specialized workmanship and the careful integration of new systems and services. They felt the theoretical approach clearly justified any design compromises. The project was unanimously admired for the beauty of the finished product, the result of an inspired, talented team effort.