VICTORIA ROUNDHOUSE HISTORIC PRECINCT
MASTER PLAN AND NEW BUILDING
Client: Roundhouse Properties Ltd.
Services: Master Planning, Architecture
Cost: $10 M
Size: 3.75 ha
Completion: 2008 (Master Plan), 2012 (Design
Development)
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
The Roundhouse Site in Victoria is the historical terminus for rail on Vancouver
Island. The heritage resources of the site establish a “precinct” that gives greater
historic significance to the site than would an individual building.
Land uses contemplated for the Roundhouse precinct include retail, restaurant,
museum, industrial, office, hotel, residential and community facilities. The project
proposes to build at sufficient density to provide residual land value to support
the renovation of the historic precinct for public-oriented use. The complex will
be organized around a central public space, a turntable plaza, which will provide
a focus for public activity in Victoria West and broader the Victoria region.
Buildings will be animated with new uses, as well as ongoing rail use.
The surrounding neighbourhood consists of a diversity of urban developments,
parks, and pathways but they are currently not tied together as a comprehensive
network. The Roundhouse plan knits these elements together by establishing
linkages for both pedestrians and cyclists to adjacent parks and public spaces.
The project consists of two phases that are both currently in design development.
The first phase is to examine the restoration and renovation of several on-site
railway Heritage buildings that will be reused and adapted into approximately
60,000 sq ft of retail, an outdoor plaza, and public space.
Phase One of the project is being developed on the south half of the site, which
will consist of nearly 700,000 sq ft of residential and live/work spaces.
Phase One is being prepared for Development Permit, and the concept site plan
for Phase Two is currently under review.