The ‘Y’ Lofts
PEI Condo Project Makes Waves on Canada’s Island Paradise.
The Y Lofts on Prince Street in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island were a vision of renowned Danish born architect, and long time PEI resident, Ole Hammarlund. Renovating an existing character building into unique PEI Condos was the ‘green’ approach and avoided filling already congested landfills, so it was the natural path. The building is comprised of simple building materials, including glass, brick, and concrete, resulting in zero ‘sick building’ issues that often plague modern condo builds. Power for the lofts is generated by clean windmill power and hot water is generated from Charlottetown’s waste energy plant, which is responsible for heating the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and other buildings in the downtown core.
According to the building’s original corner stone, Viscount Alexander of Tunis opened the YMCA in 1948. The building has functional lines with an art deco influence, which is clearly seen in the recently rebuilt front curved canopy of the exclusive loft-condo project. It is a practical building with large quantities of glass that has been covered in a red brick veneer, accented with striking PEI sandstone. In the sixties, a brick addition to the back was added to accommodate a large pool, and in 1980 a two-story structure was added on the top of the pool, housing two racket and two squash courts for downtown Charlottetown. While the first expansion was built in matching brick, the later addition was covered in steel siding with no windows.
The 1980’s addition was an attempt to renew the operation for PEI’s faithful clientele, but the YMCA faced fierce competition and was soon taken over by a private operator. Attracting newcomers continued to be an uphill battle, and when the CARE pool facility opened at UPEI, the doors of the YMCA were closed permanently, and the building sat unoccupied for 2 years.
The end of an era for the city’s YMCA became the beginning of something new and spectacular for the downtown Charlottetown area. Ole Hammarlund recognized an opportunity to restore the character building and realize his vision of spacious urban luxury condo living in PEI’s capital, offering unparalleled style and elegance for a discriminating clientele, while maintaining a philosophy of ‘green’ living.
