News & Press: Grand Opening of IGTC
GCTC STAGES GRAND OPENING OF
THE IRVING GREENBERG THEATRE CENTRE IN OTTAWA
OTTAWA, ONTARIO - Thursday, September 6, 2007
The Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, the new home of the Great Canadian Theatre Company, was officially opened today at 1233 Wellington Street West (at Holland Avenue), Ottawa.
"This is an enormous milestone for GCTC and for Ottawa’s artistic community,” said Lise Ann Johnson, the GCTC’s Artistic Director. “The new theatre gives us the space we need to continue to bring cutting-edge, top-quality theatre to our patrons and continue to do our part to nurture the evolution of Canadian playwrights, actors and drama with a uniquely Canadian voice.”
The grand opening celebrations include a gala event on Thursday, September 6 for invited guests. On Saturday and Sunday, September 8th & 9th, 12 noon – 5 p.m., there are open houses and guided tours for the public.
The capital campaign for the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre has reached 90% of its $11.7-million budget, with just over $1 million left to raise. Major contributors include the Family of Irving Greenberg ($2,500,000), Government of Canada ($3,000,000), Government of Ontario ($2,600,000), and the City of Ottawa ($1,300,000). A wide cross-section of businesses, as well as the public, supported the Making it Greater Capital Campaign.
“None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary support of the public, especially the incredible generosity of the Greenberg family, and all three levels of government,” said Johnson. “But we still have more to raise before we have achieved our goal.”
The complex, developed by Windmill Development Group, is made up of The Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre and The Currents residential tower. The facility is the first Gold-certified commercial/residential project in Canada under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. The Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre was designed by Griffiths Rankin Cook Architects, and built by AECON Buildings Ottawa with Martin Conboy Lighting Design as the theatrical consultant.
The ground-breaking ceremony was held on May 25, 2005 and the first day of construction was on September 14th. The first day of public access to the new box office was on August 13th. The first season in the new theatre is Capital Letters, a love letter to the National Capital region, sponsored by TELUS. The first show in the Irving Greenberg Theatre (mainstage) is a musical comedy entitled The Man from the Capital, sponsored by Scotiabank Group.
The total area of the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre is 1,854 square metres. The Irving Greenberg Theatre (mainstage) has a capacity of 262 seats, and the Studio Theatre has a capacity of 90 seats.
After 25 years in a converted truck garage at 910 Gladstone Avenue, the theatre’s new home at the corner of Wellington Street and Holland Avenue provides welcome improvements for patrons and artists: two theatres instead of one, more leg room, more lobby space, a lobby café called The Local Bar by Thyme & Again Encore, The Lorraine Fritzi Yale Gallery art exhibition space, and more washroom facilities. For backstage, improvements include a costume shop, a properties room, catwalks in the mainstage theatre, separate dressing rooms for men and women, a green room, and more office space, including a board room.
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BACKGROUNDERS
1) Website Links
2) IGTC & The Currents
3) IGTC
BACKGROUNDER
Website Links for information and images regarding the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre
THE THEATRE:
The Great Canadian Theatre Company
http://www.gctc.ca
THE DEVELOPER:
Windmill Development Group
www.windmilldevelopments.ca
THE ARCHITECT:
Griffiths Rankin Cook Architects
http://www.grcarchitects.com/
THE BUILDER:
AECON Buildings Ottawa
www.aecon.com
THE THEATRICAL CONSULTANT:
Martin Conboy Lighting Design (MCLD)
www.martinconboylighting.ca
BACKGROUNDER:- IRVING GREENBERG THEATRE CENTRE & THE CURRENTS
The Facts
The Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, home of the Great Canadian Theatre Company, occupies 23,000 square feet of The Currents, a 43-unit condominium, mixed-use development that totals 100,000 square feet. The building was developed by Ottawa-based Windmill and is on target to become a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-certified building – the first in Ottawa. Busby Perkins + Will Architects, a Vancouver-based firm known for its sustainable design projects was the architect for the Currents; Griffiths Rankin Cook was the architect for GCTC. The builder was AECON.
The Process
(from a talk by Windmill partner Jonathan Westeinde held in Ottawa on April 11, 2007):
How do you make a Green Building?
1. Clean up the site.
The corner of Holland and Wellington was previously a gas station and then a dry cleaning business so it was thoroughly contaminated with pollutants.
2. Create the concrete structure.
Replace crushed stone aggregate with recycled fly ash. It takes longer to cure but creates a harder and therefore more durable foundation.
3. Create an energy-efficient building envelope.
Windows are always the weakest point in the barrier. So Windmill spent invested in windows, using high efficiency thermal glass that contain small ceramics “beads” to act as a shadowing agent during the summer months.
4. Choose environmental systems and products. Here are some of the environmental features of the building:
- Toilets that have half- or full-flush options to save water
- Non-leaching paints, drywall, and wheatboard cabinets (no VOCs or formaldehyde)
- Havea floors made by the waste products of rubber tree production
- Increased natural light penetration to 70%
- Aerated faucets
- Local granite
- Composting
- Energy-star rated appliances
- High efficiency chiller and boiler systems
- Large internal cistern for storm water recycling. Rain collected from the roof is directed for use in the building’s sewage system.
These choices will result in:
- 50% less greenhouse gas emissions
- 60% less potable water drawn from municipal water supplies
But isn’t the cost prohibitive?
The cost of construction at LEED gold certification level is approximately $3 more per square foot. The savings in energy costs to the consumer immediately and over time makes this up-front investment extremely financially smart.
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BACKGROUNDER:
GCTC’s IRVING GREENBERG THEATRE CENTRE
Located on a bustling intersection in the heart of an emerging arts district, the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre is poised to deliver great theatre and great events not just locally and city-wide but regionally and nationally as well. With two theatres, two lobbies, versatile boardroom, wine and dessert bar, catering services and a gallery, the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre will meet the needs of many different audiences by featuring performances, arts exhibitions, independent productions, weddings and cocktail parties, lecture and film series, art education events, symposia, awards shows, great music, coffee, etcetera.
In brief:
The IRVING GREENBERG THEATRE is a 262-seat theatre with fully up-to-date sound and lighting systems, designed to accommodate theatre, dance and music performances The STUDIO THEATRE is a black box rehearsal and performance studio with flexible seating for 90 people. It has its own sound and lighting systems and is appropriate for intimate theatrical presentations as well as workshops. It will appeal to independent companies or artists seeking to present their work in a professional venue.
THE LOCAL BAR is a Wine and Dessert Bar featuring a tasting menu of small plates that reflect creative caterer Thyme & Again’s exceptional quality and style. The Local Bar’s modern approach is tailored to theatre patrons and the local community. Thyme & Again’s attention to detail, decadently-inspired menus and fresh, seasonal ingredients complement the green theme of the main theatre lobby.
CATERING The Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre is the perfect setting for special events. Thyme & Again’s expertise in menu design and event co-ordination ensures that every event will be stylish, fun and memorable.
THE LORRAINE FRITZI YALE GALLERY is Ottawa’s newest visual arts exhibition Space. The Lorraine Fritzi Yale Gallery will display contemporary artworks by a range of local artists, solo or in groups on the mezzanine level. In an innovative artistic partnership, Cube Gallery owner, artist and impresario Don Monet will curate art exhibitions that directly reflect GCTC’s Mainstage season. The Lorraine Fritzi Yale Gallery and Cube Gallery in concert – where great art meets great theatre.
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Media Contact:
Laurie Murphy
Marketing & Communications Director
GCTC Administration
300-1227 Wellington Street West
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 0G7
Office: 613-236-5192 ex. 229
Fax: 613-232-2075
e-mail: publicity@gctc.ca
www.gctc.ca
