The Registry Theatre
122 Frederick St
Kitchener, Ontario
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The Registry Theatre
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In 1852, a brick building was built by Waterloo County pioneers to house the Registry Office. During the years 1938 and 1939, a new Registry Office Building for Waterloo County was constructed at 122 Frederick Street, Kitchener, Ontario by general contractor Dunker Construction Ltd. By the year 2000, this same building had been designated a Heritage Landmark in the City of Kitchener and had undergone several changes. In 1980, the Registry Office was vacated when more modern and spacious quarters became available. The building remained vacant for three years until the neighbouring Waterloo Regional Police occupied it and renovated it to suit their needs. They constructed walls and moved doorways to make the building more appropriate for their needs with little regard for the old surfaces. They chipped out terrazzo in some areas for walls, and drilled holes for wiring and piping. In 1993, the police department moved to new quarters and once again, the now old Registry Office was left vacant. |
| In 2000, the City of Kitchener decided that the Registry Office should be restored to its original condition. The refurbished building was to house the Registry Theatre. General Contractor was Sona Construction Limited. Twin City Tile was approached to do the terrazzo and marble restoration. The work entailed re-grinding, re-polishing and re-sealing the existing terrazzo floor after repairs were facilitated, and repairing marble wall treatments on the two floors of the building. New marble risers were constructed for the entry staircase from material that had been removed during the police renovations, and stored in the building. Cracked wall slabs had to be replaced. Marble window sills had been damaged or removed. They too, were restored and replaced. |
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The terrazzo repairs were more complicated. The holes
that had been drilled in the terrazzo and the marble needed to be patched
as did the floor where terrazzo had been removed during the last renovation.
The original floor consisted of no fewer than nine colours in various
decorative patterns. Brass strips were also incorporated into the design,
and several needed replacing. Twin City Tile was able to match these strips
from their archived inventory. The colour difference between the older
and new terrazzo is virtually imperceptible, due the resources of Twin
City Tile. They were able to locate Italian marble chips from the same
era as the original construction for use in the terrazzo. The floor was
polished with 120 grit stones to a highly polished lustre. All was sealed
with a penetrating solvent terrazzo sealer.On the lower level, washrooms
were upgraded to meet current building codes, and enlarged to meet the
needs of the theatre. The expansion was accomplished while maintaining
the integrity of the terrazzo floor and wall marble.
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Above the front door of the theatre, there is a glass mosaic mural depicting the coats of arms of the City of Galt, the City of Kitchener and Waterloo County. This magnificent display was constructed in 1939 by Twin City Tile's founder Dante Edissi. It has maintained its original condition, and has never been altered or restored . Terrazzo, too, is indeed a lifetime hardsurface application. Some 63 years after its original installation, this floor is magnificent. It surely will provide many more years of continued service. |
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