Heritage

Between 2010 and 2017, +VG Architects undertook a comprehensive, phased building envelope conservation program as part of the broader Master Plan for St. Michael’s Cathedral, a landmark 1847 Gothic Revival building in Toronto.

The work addressed all exterior systems, including slate roofing, brick and sandstone masonry, metalwork, wood windows, and structural elements.

Beginning with the West Façade and Tower, the project progressed methodically around the building. Initial investigations included detailed surveying, testing, and analysis to define the scope of conservation. As work advanced, further assessments from scaffolding informed case-by-case decisions for appropriate repair and intervention strategies. Particular care was taken in the conservation of intricate carved sandstone elements, which required fine cleaning, consolidation, and localized repair.

Structural stabilization was a key component, including reinforcement of original timber framing and high-level masonry features such as pinnacles, crosses, and cornice stones. Where necessary, lost or severely deteriorated elements were restored, including portions of the Upper Tower and the reintroduction of historically appropriate slate roofing patterns.

The project required close collaboration with conservators, engineers, and specialized trades to address unforeseen conditions while maintaining rigorous conservation standards. The work aligns with Parks Canada guidelines and has received multiple heritage awards, recognizing its contribution to the long-term preservation of this significant cultural landmark.

Originally designed by Arthur William Homes in 1914, the construction of St. Francis of Assisi was completed in 1915.

Located in the heart of Little Italy, the church accommodates 900 people. The Nave, composed of a sequence of vaulted ceilings, allows daylight to come in through the stained glass windows, generating an array of colours as you navigate the space.

As part of the intervention, a new slate roof was installed and the plaster ceiling was completely restored. The interior paint scheme was restored to a monochromatic paint scheme from 1945 to allow the colours from the stained glass windows to be magnified within the Nave. The decoration intensifies in the Transepts and into the Sanctuary to emphasize the importance of that sacred space and the beauty of the East stained glass window. The entire Sanctuary area was restored to its original design with the reconstruction of the wood reredos screen as the backdrop of the Altar and the removal of the mosaic wall installed in 1972 during a previous intervention that concealed the East wall. The East stained glass window was reinstated to its original glory and two Guido Nincheri frescos were unveiled and restored along with all the East wall artwork. The restoration of the coffered ceiling artwork over the Sanctuary was donated by a parishioner of the Italian community in memory of his late wife, proving this project to be essential to the community and possessing immense value to its parishioners.

The St. John’s Chapel Atrium is +VG’s contemporary addition to the complex of heritage buildings from different eras, which together, make up the St. Michael’s Cathedral site.

Above grade, the Atrium is a modern multipurpose space, creating a cloister-like link between the 1890s Chapel, the administrative and residential accommodation of the 1845 Rectory, and the early 20^th Century Sacristies – the ancillary spaces serving the main worship space of the Cathedral Nave. On the exterior, the palette of materials has been carefully chosen to complement that of the existing buildings and maintain the continuity between the different eras represented on site. The interior is simple and reverent, with fair-faced concrete block, wood and slate providing a backdrop to the conserved west façade of St. John’s Chapel and a stained-glass window, relocated from its original home in the Cathedral’s Narthex, which are highlighted as the main visual features of the space. The west façade opens out through tall glazed doors onto a summer terrace under a glass canopy, creating a transitional space between the Atrium interior and the quiet gardens of the Rectory.

Below grade, the Atrium addition contains a new 3,000 ft² basement housing a state-of-the-art Central Utilities plant, providing modern heating, cooling and power systems which have been discretely distributed and integrated throughout the whole complex. This coordination and integration of services has been a key part of +VG’s work at St. Michael’s Cathedral, maintaining the character-defining qualities of the existing heritage buildings, while providing them with the environmental control and high-tech infrastructure of a modern facility, all of which must have been unthinkable at the time the Cathedral was originally built.