Artefact was hired to design the restoration of this late-nineteenth-century pharmacy building, designed by A.W. Leh, for reuse as an art gallery and studio. In the intervening years since the pharmacy had been operational, the building had been massively renovated for use as a comic store, resulting in a complete removal of the original facade. The client wished to restore the building to its original appearance while adding modern functionality and incorporating an upstairs apartment.

Physical and photographic evidence of the storefront’s historic appearance guided us on how to remove disruptive alterations and construct new display windows to recreate the original design. Former window openings at the rear and side of the building were reestablished, and window sashes with colored glass were milled and installed to replace the vinyl windows found in most of the window openings. The colors of the restored exterior recall the rich and varied palette of the Victorian era.