From the Windsor Daily Star – March 3, 1955:
Plans to built a new 120-bed wing at Hotel Dieu were announced today by hospital officials. They said the new unit will replace the original building, above, which will be torn down as soon as the proposed wing is completed.
The new Hotel Dieu wing being planned will be erected on Ouellette … It will be a six-story structure, with basement, and will be built alongside the wing erected in 1951. Accommodation for 30 psychiatric patients and 90 general patients is included in the plans being drawn up by J.C. Pennington, Windsor Architect.
The 1955 wing is shown above with the red base.
Place gives me the creeps.
They were successful in creating a building devoid of any exterior architectural imagination. Looks like a huge cinder block with windows.
Nonsense Tom. Its a fine mid century modern building which future generations will fight to protect from demolition. One of my favourite Windsor buildings even though the main entrance has been abandoned and the interior is a little scruffy. ( the cinder block shape has the same proportions as the portico of the Parthenon)
I disagree Joe. The main entrance was a big part of this building and it has changed the look of it. From Ouellette Ave it looks like a minimum security prison.
But Dave, they have made only minor changes/improvements to the old main entrance.Not sure how the look has changed. I like the statue of St Joseph, the small square windows (except for the vinyl sliders someone stuck on the first floor) and the way the stone frames the curtain wall on the south facade and in general the widespread use of stone as a cladding material. There are things I don’t care for that have happened over the years but all in all it’s held up pretty well.
And now the cross has been taken down. They can’t remove St. Joseph because he’s part of the cement. Just another step to secularize and rewrite history. Shame on the administrators for wasting public funds on such nonsence.
The 1955 addition ended up being 8 floors, and I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more than 120 beds in it.