We spent much of the day visiting Doors Open venues at a leisurely pace. Everywhere folks were excited and proud to be showing off their spaces and programs. When I got home it was fun to review what I had been noticing – and to imagine patterns. So here is a real mixture of images from some of the sites we saw.
Earlier in the week I saw the tongue and groove wooden ceiling at the Sacred Heart School and wondered if similar ones still existed. Turns out just around the corner on University the Fire Station has one.
In the Fire Station I noticed there were transoms over the doors that provide light to the interior hall. Then at the Grammar School/Tower Road School all the classroom doors had transoms that opened for ventilation as well as light.
It was reassuring to find evidence of two fire-hall cliches: the brass pole to slide down and a kitchen with a professional stove for hearty cooking.
In the bright and modern Dalhousie Life Sciences Research building I admired a show case of wax models of the many stages of development of a chicken embryo. Probably made early last century by a famous Parisian natural history supply company.
At Spring Garden Terrace we saw the outdoor pool that grandparents use to lure their grandchildren over to visit. Also impressed at how nicely the 50 year-old parquet floors can be restored.
As I hoped there were lots of quality details at the Lord Nelson, as well as the suite used by Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osborne (at different times).
And here is the richly decorated coffered ceiling in the foyer of the Nelson compared to a stamped metal ceiling at Tower Road School. Both good.
And staircases in several styles.
I’m getting weary so let me end with a revelation that made me laugh to beat the band. Earlier in the week I referred to the Life Sciences Research building as “Mr Mustard.” When I did this I worried for a moment that I had the colour comparison wrong. Then after having visited the building in the morning we were eating at Ace Burger and I picked up a pack of mustard. No reason to fret.
