| Architect: John A Cawston (1911-1966), Cawston and
Stevenson of Calgary
Contractor:
Larwill Construction
Company owned by Lars Willumsen
Original
Cost: $1,250,000
Original
Owner:
J.B.Barron, lawyer,
developer and theatre impresario. At one time also owned
the Grand Theatre. He and his brother Abe came to Calgary
from Dawson City and established the law firm of Barron
and Barron.
Current
Owners:
Newel Post Developments
Ltd. which manages the leasing of the office space and
the Uptown Group which programmes both the live theatre
and cinema.
Construction Materials:
Clad in yellow brick,
Tyndall limestone and ornamental aluminum
Architectural Style:
Moderne and Art Deco
influences. Corners step back at 8th floor. Style similar
to high-rises of New York and Los Angeles in the 1920s
and 1930s. First use of strip ribbon windows in Calgary.
Historical Highlights:
- Barron building
played a significant role in establishing Calgary
as the provincial capital of the oil industry.
The office district that subsequently developed
in the western end of downtown became known as
the "Oil Patch"
- 11 storey office
tower built as a speculative investment to
accommodate the needs of a booming oil industry
following Leduc in 1947.
- unique because it
incorporated office and retail space, a movie
theatre (the Uptown on the ground floor) and the
11th floor penthouse residence of owner
J.B.Barron.
- Barron's suite
opened onto a roof-top garden with lawn, flowers
and a water hydrant for his Highland terrier
"Butch". The garden won the Vincent
Massey Award for excellence in urban planning.
- original tenants
included Shell, Sun Oil, Mobil Oil, Socony Vacuum
Oil, Trans Canada Pipelines and a host of smaller
oil companies.
- in 1958 Mobil Oil
leased floors 2 to 10 and according to the terms
of the lease the Barron Building became the Mobil
Building until 1969 when the company moved into
new quarters
- Theatre stripped of
its Art Deco decor in early 70s and closed in the
early 80s
- building sold by
auction in 1992.
- Uptown Theatre
converted to mixed use (performing and cinematic)
in 1993 by conversion of balcony to live theatre
and conference facility. Main floor cinema
operates as Calgary's only remaining repertory
cinema.
|
Barron Building