Manitoba Hydro Building Tour viewing Art Collection, July 26 2012

Manitoba Hydro Place, 360 Portage Ave, Winnipeg

Many thanks to Victoria Nikkel, Curatorial Assistant, Manitoba Hydro

for showing me around this amazing building and showing me a good selection of the Fine Art collection.

Winnipeg’s most advanced and technologically interesting building, Manitoba Hydro Place, 360 Portage Ave. It is also Winnipeg’s largest office building.

 

Manitoba Hydro Place, 360 Portage Ave, Winnipeg. When the building was being built, the engineers and builders managed to re-use %95 of the materials from pervious sources. A lot of energy is saved by re-using instead of buying new.

An Award Winning Building:

  • 2009 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)‘s Best Tall Building Americas award. At the time, CTBUH said Manitoba Hydro Place “was designed to be completely site specific. The design could not be transplanted to another city and still work, thus making it the perfect response to the seeming homogenization of the world’s skylines.”[11]
  • 2008 IBS Award, Highly Commended[9]
  • 2009 Building of the Year, Office Category by Arch Daily.[7]
  • 2010 American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (COTE), Top Ten Green Buildings.[6]
  • 2010 Sustainable Architecture & Building Magazine Award, Project Winner[9]
  • 2010 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, National Urban Design Award[17]
  • 2010 the SAB (Sustainable Architecture and Building) Canadian Green Building Award.
  • Engineers Canada – National Project Achievement Award[17]
  • 2010 ACEC Canadian Consulting Engineering Award – Buildings[9]
  • 2011 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Innovation in Architecture[9]
  • Canadian Consulting Engineering – Award of Excellence[17]
  • Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Manitoba (Consulting Engineers of Manitoba) – Keystone Award and Award of Excellence[17]
  • Consulting Engineers of Alberta – Award of Excellence Sustainable Design[17]

 

Three 24m tall waterfalls humidify or de-humidify the air as it is drawn into the building

 

The 115 metre high solar chimney draws hot air out of the building in the Summer

 

An explanation of the Energy Efficient Features of the Hydro Building

 

White noise generators lie beneath the floors to create ambient noise, otherwise the rattles and murmurs of everyone working would cause a din! Being such an energy efficient building, it is naturally almost silent, and humans like a bit of hum in the background.

 

An excellent view of the Exchange District from high up in the Hydro Building, Winnipeg

 

 

It is the mandate of Manitoba Hydro to collect and share art.

Much of the art is on public display on the main floor, but the rest of the 22 storey building is also filled with art for the employees to enjoy.

The curator, Leona Herzog, had put forward a plan to only collect artwork from living Manitoba artists, thus aiding the arts community in Winnipeg and the province greatly.

Before 2009, when the building was completed, there was no concerted effort to collect art, and with this new Modern building, Mrs Herzog instigated this curatorial goal.

The Manitoba Hydro collection now has 250 works by 107 artists as of July 2012.

 

The Royal Art Lodge, The Books I’ve Read, 44/50, 2008 Drawing on Paper, Silk Screen Print, 28 x 166 cm

 

Royal Art Lodge, The Books I’ve Read

One of the three 3 storey tall Winter Gardens of the Hydro Building. They act as the building’s lungs and draw air in.

 

The A shape of the building works to minimize exposure to cold north winds, while optimizing access to natural sunlight from the south west side. This design feature contributes greatly to reducing energy costs

 

Miriam Rudolph, Assiniboine Trail ll, c. 2011 Print on Paper 54 x 84 cm

 

Jeanette Johns, Retreating Agassiz Series, 2011, Artist Print, Six pieces each 53 x 41 cm

 

Keith Wood, Earth, Jardin Nocturne Series, 2008 Encaustic on Panel 123 x 183 cm

 

 

Aliana Au, Dreams of a Young Warrior IV, 1994 Acrylic and ink on paper 240 x 185 cm

 

Christian Worthington, Yellow and Blue, Diptych c. 2008 Oil and mixed media on canvas 91 x 152 cm

 

 

Robert Bruce, Stove Print Series 1 and 2 1972, Artist Print 89 x 58 cm

 

Roger LaFreniere, Space View 2008 Acrylic on Canvas 213 x 487 cm

 

Green roofs incorporating native prairie plants reduce storm runoff and reduce cooling requirements

 

Low-iron glass maximizes the amount of daylight entering the building. Windows automatically open and close to regulate temperature.

 

 

Grace Nickel, Terminus A Quo 2002, Ceramic and Glass 130 cm tall

 

Alan Lacovetsky, Bio-Tusk series 2007, Ceramic 104 cm long

 

The grand main lobby of the Manitoba Hydro Building in Downtown Winnipeg is host to Fine Art, two waterfalls, and increasingly, Wedding photography shoots

 

 

Ewa Tarsia, collection of Manitoba Hydro

 

Looking up inside on the “lungs” of the building. A grand staircase in the Winter Garden.

 

Water drops in a controlled fall along 24 metre filaments inside

 

 

 

The filament waterfall in the Winter Garden

 

One of the main floor waterfalls of the Manitoba Hydro building

 

Steve Gouthro, Transformation 2003, Oil on Canvas 172.5 x 204 cm

 

Bison by Joe Fafard in the front Lobby

 

Wanda Koop, The View from Here, Brilliant Yellow Horizon 2009, Acrylic on Canvas 122 x 244 cm

 

 

Bison Calf by Joe Fafard

 

Looking up above the entrance to the Manitoba Hydro building, Winnipeg

Facts about Manitoba Hydro Place, Winnipeg

 

 

click on image to enlarge

 

Energy Efficient Features of Manitoba Hydro Place, Winnipeg