Description du lieu patrimonial

791 Pandora Avenue is a four storey building located at the southwest corner of Blanshard Street and Pandora Avenue. It is distinguishable by its Italianate architectural form and massing and its beveled corner.

Valeur patrimoniale

791 Pandora Avenue is valued as one of the oldest large-scale commercial buildings of its era to survive in this part of Victoria's downtown. Constructed in 1891 for Carlo Bossi, a prominent pioneer developer and landowner, this historic place is important to the city's heritage character because it is representative of the development patterns of the late nineteenth century, which saw the expansion of the city away from the commercial core and the waterfront. Its Italianate form and beveled corner make it a commanding presence at this intersection of Pandora Avenue and Blanshard Streets.

This historic building also possesses social value in its historical and current uses for accommodation and housing. Designed as a hotel with commercial spaces at street level, it is significant that it has retained an element of its original function through a major 1944 renovation which converted it to wartime housing, and through to its present day use as a backpackers' hostel.

Source: City of Victoria Planning and Development Dept.

Éléments caractéristiques

The character-defining elements of 791 Pandora Avenue include:
- Its prominent corner location, accentuated by a beveled corner.
- Its four-storey form and free-standing appearance, with three of its four facades completely unobstructed within the streetscape.
- Surviving exterior detailing which relates to its original 1891 design, including fourth storey arches, triangular pediments above entrances, and accentuation of the rhythm of the north and east facades through vertical piers.
- Interior elements which support the heritage character associated with its original use as a hotel, and its 1944 renovation for use as wartime housing.
- The integrity of the 1891 building envelope, reinforced by evidence of construction methods and materials used to carry out its original design.
- Its varied uses for temporary accommodation and/or long-term housing.