The Table Rock Center in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, is what you might call
the best seat in the house. Originally built in 1927, it’s always been a place
where people stopped to take photos of Niagara Falls. If you ate at the Table
Rock Restaurant on the second floor, you were literally about 30 to 40 feet (9
to 12 m) from the water.
The Niagara Parks Commission wanted Table Rock to be not just a stopping spot
and dining destination but a kind of central gathering place for the falls. A recent, approximately $35 million overhaul of the center included a renovation of the existing structure, including the restaurant (renamed Elements on the Falls), as well as a 60,000-square-foot (5,574-m2) expansion that included retail shops, a two-story Grand Hall enclosed observation deck and an interactive attraction called Niagara’s Fury. Part of the beauty of the original structure was a copper roof, so it was only fitting that the new parts of Table Rock would be housed under copper, as well. Table Rock, which opened its new incarnation in June 2008, now features 27,000 square feet (2,508 m2) of copper roofing with a portion of the original copper roof also remaining.
“It was really an aesthetic decision,” said Justin Stichter, Table Rock project architect from PGAV Destination Consulting, St. Louis, of the choice to use a copper roof. “We looked at alternatives of regular standing-seam roof painted copper. This building is a highlight for the falls and the general aesthetic of the building is very historical, so we didn’t want to cheapen it by going with a more contemporary material.”
John E. Kasman, project manager at PGAV,said that the Niagara Parks Commission had been pleased with the original copper roof, both for its longevity and durability, and its visual appeal. He said it’s also a material that could be trusted to endure the micro-climate at the brink of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
While copper is more expensive than other materials, both the Parks Commission and PGAV agreed that the long-term benefits were worth it. Also, along with matching the existing roof, it fit with the structure’s details and other high-quality materials, such as stone walls.
“The existing structure had some gorgeous stone eave details, and we chose to replicate those on the addition with copper profiles,” Kasman added.
View From Above
The Table Rock Center sits at the brink of the falls and can also be seen from above by many visitors of the local hotels and casinos, so it’s a structure that can really be viewed from all angles.
“People in the hotels and casinos all had their first look at the building from above even before they got there,” Kasman said. “Since it was being viewed from above, we were all very sensitive to the detailing of the copper and the forms of the roof that typically would be hidden.”
The roof was done in a batten-seam style to add to its architectural appearance, as well as increase its longevity.
“It definitely acts as a beacon as the light reflects off of it,” Stichter said of the copper roof. “Another interesting thing about this site is that the mist plume really envelops the building. The copper is patined very nicely. It doesn’t turn green like one might expect; here it becomes a rich, dark brown. You get a really nice coloration. It went on bright and shiny, but it has now patined into a nice, rich, dark-copper color. From an aesthetic standpoint it was a no brainer.”
Extreme Conditions
The copper was supplied by Revere Copper Products Inc., Rome, N.Y., and sold by one of its distributors, Canadian Brass and Copper Co., Concord, Ontario. The task of installing it on a steep roof slope in what were at times extremely cold and wet conditions was not an easy one.
Brian Rand, president of Custom Cupola & Steeple Co. Ltd., Oakville, Ontario, was the roofing contractor on the copper project. He said although the firm has a great deal of experience installing copper, the duration of the construction on Table Rock at the brink of the falls was quite a feat.
“It was a severely tough job during the winter,” Rand said.
Custom Cupola’s installers even had to chip ice off the roof, as well as shovel snow off the roof constantly, to be able to work.
“We risked life and limb and had to buy special mountain climbing gear and take lessons in using it,” Rand said. “Men were getting sick; it was hell. These are strong lads, physically fit, and these guys are getting sick. They were wet all day long. The wind blows across, and the mist blows through. Only a few days the wind blew the mist away.”
The sometimes extreme weather was also another reason why copper was the right choice for the project.
“It should be there for 100-plus years. One would expect little if any maintenance on a copper roof when installed properly,” Rand said. “So when you think about the severe weather there during the winter, you want the longest-life material you can install that makes sense. Twenty-ounce copper is a 100-plus-year roofing material on these mansard roofs. Not much can break it down. The erosion time of the copper is the only thing that’s going to significantly break copper down. A copper roof is generally one of the longest lasting elements of any building.”
Rand was also pleased with the architect’s choice of a batten-seam style roof. “That batten seam is an aesthetically pleasing architectural detail,” he said. “It’s one of the most expensive methods to install a copper roof, however, it looks great, and it can last several lifetimes.”
Representing Niagara
One major goal of the Table Rock project was to funnel people in and show them what the facility has to offer. A clock tower and pedestrian bridge were another large part of the expansion. In the past, visitors would simply park across the street, cross wherever they wanted and then go around the building to look at the falls.
“With this project, we’ve attracted people to the clock tower, led them over the bridge to a second-story visitors center with retail and attractions like the Fury,” Kasman said, “even before they get to the beautiful panorama of the falls.”
Niagara’s Fury is an interactive attraction that not only gives people some history on the creation of the falls but, through multi-sensory special effects and a vibrating platform, immerses them in the experience and gives them a feeling of what it would have been like to be there for the cataclysmic event. The two-story Grand Hall observation deck is also in a conditioned space so it can be used in the winter.
“The view is spectacular,” Kasman said.
Table Rock Center, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Owner: Niagara Parks Commission, Niagara Falls
Architect: PGAV Destination Consulting, St. Louis
Roofing contractor: Custom Cupola & Steeple Co. Ltd., Oakville, Ontario
Copper supplier: Revere Copper Products Inc., Rome, N.Y.
Copper distributor: Canadian Brass and Copper Co., Concord, Ontario
