News

March 4, 2022

Preserving Canadian heritage, one brick at a time

Even the most experienced jigsaw puzzler would find this challenge daunting: the Kingston Armoury, built from 1899 to 1900 and designed by architect Thomas Fuller, recently underwent repairs that required brick by brick disassembly and reconstruction.

In 1989, the Armoury was designated as a Classified Federal Heritage Building and recognized as one of the most picturesque heavy stone structures of its era in Canada. In 2019, the Armoury needed repair to combat moisture infiltration and replace damaged stones and windows. 

Republic’s team of heritage conservation architects assessed the building and developed a plan for its repair. Conservation of the limestone exterior was conducted one brick at a time, and each brick was scanned and tagged as it was removed to ensure it was put back in the same place after repair.

This amazing project took two years to complete, which is only a tad longer than most people spend on a 1000-piece puzzle. No wonder the client chose to leave this historic jigsaw puzzle to the experts!

See more here.