John McIntosh Lyle of Toronto. Fordyce and Stevenson of Calgary were local supervisors for the project. Lyle, a native of Ontario, studied architecture at Yale University and at the Ecole des Beaux - Arts in Paris. He designed Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre (1907) and Union Station (1916) as well as numerous private homes, libraries and banks across the country.

The general contractor, H.G.Macdonald and Company hired twenty seven sub-contractors. J.J. Macleod was the local superintendent.

Reinforced concrete and steel structure. Indiana limestone facade set on a granite base. Bronze window grilles.

An excellent example of regional Art Deco. Emphasis on surface rather than bulk. Extensive use of Canadian and western ornamentation on the facade including stylized bas - relief images of natives, homesteaders, wheat sheafs, saddles and gushing oil, arrows, guns, bison, horses, prairie wild flowers and mountain scenes. Lyle explained that the bank "is an attempt to...design a building in the modern manner with tradition as a background."

Canadian decorative forms used throughout. Marble floor and wainscotting, 36 foot ceiling, a large central skylight with amber glass. The 5,700 square foot main banking hall had floors of rose pink Tennessee marble with counter, dado and door trims in Kasota Fleuri and St. Genevieve marbles. Counters, grilles and cheque desks featured elaborate bronze work. The mezzanine floor running across the Stephen Avenue front of the building had old ivory antique glazed cornice with deep peacock blue ceiling. A marble staircase off the main banking hall led to a large basement safety deposit vault and three walk-in vaults. The main floor manager's office included a Style Moderne marble fireplace while walls were finished in floor to ceiling poplar and cottonwood panelling. Lyle personally supervised the painting of the interior during a month-long visit to the city in July 1930.

Historical highlights: