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HISTORIC Structure , FUTURISTIC Spectacle
Projection Mapping the Old Post Office in Cambridge , ON
By Andrew King Photos by Brock McGinnis
The
Old Post Office in Cambridge , ON was officially designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1983 , and with good reason .
Constructed between 1884 and 1887 , the elegant two-and-a-half-storey stone building is one of the most recognizable in the city , featuring symmetrical twin facades and a striking clock tower all finished with local limestone . Designed by Thomas Fuller , then the chief dominion architect for the Government of Canada , the structure combines elements of Romanesque , Gothic , and
Second Empire styles with a high standard of design anchored by contrasting colours and textures .
The building was a popular destination with local residents and visitors alike throughout the summer of 2018 , though that arguably had more to do with modernity than history .
The culmination of a $ 14.9-million investment and seven years of work , the newlyrenovated Old Post Office reopened this summer as the latest Idea Exchange location – a “ digital library ” and collaborative hub featuring creative studios , a reading room , discovery centre , makerspace , and more . To celebrate that highly-anticipated event , the Mayor and Council Office of the City of Cambridge commissioned Toronto ’ s Westbury National to develop a multimedia show that would be projected onto the building ’ s one-of-a-kind façade with the goal of driving residents and tourists into the library and downtown core .
The show , which premiered for the grand reopening and ran throughout the summer , takes viewers on a trip through time , exploring the history and legacy of the building , the city , the country , and beyond .