The recent announcement that the Guelph Turfgrass Institute could be moving to the University of Guelph Arboretum property from its location on the provincial Guelph Innovation District lands prompted me to visit the current site at the top of the hill at 328 Victoria Road South. The Turfgrass headquarters are currently housed in the Karl Briestensky designed G. M. Frost Centre. The view from both the front and back of the headquarters building is magnificent, and the design of the building makes full advantage of its location with cathedral ceilings, a roof line reminiscent of a barn, and an orientation towards downtown Guelph and the Church of Our Lady.
Karl Briestensky played an instrumental role in designing Guelph in the second half of the 20th century. Buildings he designed are almost too numerous to mention but include: St. John’s Church, the National Trust Building on St. George’s Square, L’Ecole St. Rene Goupil, Victoria Road Recreation Centre, numerous shopping plazas in Guelph such as Willow West and Westwood Court Mall, the Royal Plaza which was transformed from an old arena and dairy, the Barzotti Woodworking Showroom, the Genivar Building at 367 Woodlawn Road West, and the Blow Press Factory on Southgate Drive. Many of his buildings are characterized by triangular shapes and tall towers, concrete tube pillars, and the use of diagonal wood.
Karl Briestensky was also responsible for many of restorations of historic 19th century buildings in Guelph, including the Goodenham and Worts Warehouse, a Farquhar Street stone warehouse converted to apartments, the Wellington Hotel, and the King Edward Hotel.
There is an excellent overview of Karl Briestensky’s life and work in Volume 44 of Historic Guelph, the annual publication of the Guelph Historical Society. This comprehensive article was written by retired University of Guelph professor Gil Stelter. An interesting fact I learned was that Mr. Briestensky designed a renovation of the former College Motor Inn (now the Best Western Royal Brock Hotel) at the corner of Gordon Street and Stone Road in 1987. The original two buildings of the motor inn were joined by new structure of Briestensky’s. The original low buildings had been designed by Richard Pagani, with whom Mr. Briestensky worked early in his career. This is the site on which Abode Varsity Living hopes to build two tall towers to house over 1,000 University of Guelph students. I found it very interesting that Guelph’s most well known architects both had a hand in this structure, which almost certainly will be demolished.
As for the Turfgrass Institute building, when the Guelph Innovation District lands are developed, what will happen to this soaring building with its gorgeous views of Guelph? This building is not currently listed on the Municipal Register of Cultural Historic Properties, but Heritage Guelph committee members have indicated they would like to see it included on the register and possibly designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. I would hope that the land around the building be developed in a way that the structure would continue to have some context to its surroundings.
Historically Guelph 