The Gault Building tells two very different stories about the Exchange District.

The first is a story of Winnipeg’s growth at the turn of the twentieth century, expansion of the Exchange as a prominent warehouse district in Western Canada, and a sudden economic downturn.

The second is a story of regrowth, redevelopment, and new beginnings.

The Gault Building began as a textile warehouse in 1901, Richardsonian Romanesque in design with a sturdy limestone foundation and arched windows with prominent keystones. The Gault Company grew quickly, adding a new wing and two new floors by 1904. A bold metal sign with the company name was added this same year.

By the 1930s, though, the economic growth Winnipeg had enjoyed stalled and neighbouring warehouses were shuttered as tenants came and went. The Gault Company remained, well into the 1970s, until they too were forced to close.

In 1986, the Gault Warehouse found new life – as Artspace. An extensive $2.6 million renovation turned the warehouse into studio space for artists. This process was one of several restoration projects as part of the Core Area Initiative, revitalizing once-empty warehouses.

Artspace brought new life into an old warehouse and remains a major cultural hub in the neighbourhood.