Palais Royale

Following a successful collaboration with the Pegasus Group for the restoration of the historic Miller Tavern in Toronto, GBCA were retained for the renovations to another of Pegasus’ event venues, the Palais Royale—an important cultural landmark on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Dean’s Sunnyside Boathouse, as the building was originally known, once served a dual purpose. Built in 1922 as part of the Sunnyside Amusement Park, the building was both boathouse (on the lower level) and dance hall. The renowned Toronto architects, Chapman, Oxley and Bishop created a seaside pavilion reminiscent of those found in New York’s Coney Island. While the Palais made its name as Toronto’s premier Big Band venue during the 1930s, 40s and 50s, following construction of the Gardiner Expressway, the amusement park closed and only the Palais Royale and Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion were saved from demolition.

When GBCA joined the project in 2005 the building was in a severe state of disrepair due to years of neglect. The structural timber frame building required extensive repairs to the stucco exterior, the metal window frames and other decorative details. Modern code requirements were sensitively detailed while maintaining the overall integrity of the building.

Close collaboration with both the city and the client produced a detailed restoration plan that would allow the iconic heritage building to successfully move into the 21st century as a stylish event venue.

For more photos, see: http://www.palaisroyale.ca/