Wurst Restaurant (Mission Commercial Building)

Project:	Wurst Restaurant (Mission Commercial Building)
Location:	2415 4 th Street SW, Calgary
Completion:	2011
Size:	Main Floor - 7,700 sq.ft. Basement - 7,700 sq.ft.

Project Description:
The Gasthaus Building was an iconic building on 4 th Street near Elbow Drive SW for many decades. It was a popular meeting place for citizens and dignitaries alike. However, over the years, it deteriorated to the point where the place closed down and it sat vacant for a number of years. The new owners saw a new life for the building with a new theme restaurant and some retail stores. This would need a total interior demolition, a reconfiguration of the parking lot as well as an exterior redo to bring it back to meet the current needs of the commercial community. The south ½ of the main floor and the basement were leased to the ‘Wurst’ restaurant and bar. The north ½ of the ground floor was turned into 2 CRU’s containing a coffee and baked goods store and a hair salon. The exterior was refreshed to its original character, accentuating the large wood brackets and classic brickwork. Based on the historical significance of the details, this was an important goal with the project. In addition, the original ‘Gasthaus’ pylon sign was retained for the use of the prime tenant. The success of this project came in preserving the historical character of the building while enhancing its commercial identity in the community. As this building is not a designated heritage resource building, some liberties were available when renovating and, by opening up the north wall to more windows, the potential commercial/retail reuse was able to be realized.


Photographs by MHB Photo-Graf