The whY is a space that one has to physically walk through to understand because the mind has to be inside the space to comprehend the language of the building. It shows how architecture reframes our thinking and how concepts can be evolved without destroying what once existed.
An architect and urban designer have completely transformed a former YMCA into 18 condos of inspired modern living. They have reused materials from the existing building including original floors from the gymnasium, tiles from the pool, windows, walls, and wood from the bowling alleys and squash courts. The lines that were painted on the floors for basketball and squash are intact. The elements of its past are preserved in its modern reincarnation.
When you climb the stairs to the roof top terraces, you look out over Victorian homes including the Fairholm National Historic Inn which is a Picturesque style home circa 1938 when the British were establishing colonial societies here.
The condo building has maintained the exterior of the old YMCA or “The Y”, a recreational landmark at Prince and Euston, but the interior architecture and design is showing that Charlottetown’s urban vibe is finding its place in the city, too. We thought it was the perfect place to start our Likemind Charlottetown conversation.
