Joan Rivers. Kenny Rogers. David Gest. Dolly Parton. The Firehall Arts Centre.
What is the common thread?
Facelifts!
Turning a functioning fire station into a centre for the arts meant there were some cosmetic changes that needed to be made
to the building.
One of those changes was in what is now our lobby and gallery space. This is a picture of what you currently see when you enter through our lobby doors. Pay attention to the brickwork in the space and you’ll notice what was done.
Walk up the stairs and into the lobby. Say hi to the bartender. Buy a drink. Tell them I sent you on a treasure hunt to find remnants of the old fire station. They’ll mutter about one of us being “weird”. Turn around, look at the exhibit on display. Let your eyes shift down toward the floor below the counter.
Do you see that arch under there? That is an old doorway. To create the dressing room and bathrooms below, they had to create a raised mezzanine-style space, and the lobby we now know was born.
Keep looking around and you’ll see other arches and the outlines of an old window.
The Firehall has made a few changes to the centre to create a space that is welcoming and is able to present the best work possible, while maintaining the aesthetic and feel of the building. We hope we’ve created a space you enjoy as much as we do.
Tell us about your favourite, funniest, weirdest memory of the Firehall Arts Centre in the comments below, on our Facebook or Twitter for a chance to win a Flex 4 Pack for the 2012-13 Season!
And, to donate to the Firehall for our $30 for 30 Campaign through Canada Helps or through our website!
Image of Joan Rivers from Top News