| Architect: Federal
Department of Public Works. Local architect Charles
Sellens supervised the project.
Contractor:
Smith Brothers and
Wilson of Calgary and Regina. Walter Douglas was the
local superintendent of the construction work. Excavation
work sub - contracted to the Commercial Cartage Company.
Many of the sub - contracts were awarded to local firms.
Original
cost:
$1.5 million (estimates
ranged as high as $2 million including equipment)
Construction materials:
Steel and reinforced
concrete. Clad in Tyndall limestone.
Architectural style:
Classical Revival. Lower
four storeys considered as a base. Building design
featured a three storey Ionic order colonnade. Of
particular interest are the fine carved details in stone
on the exterior. Specifically, the capitals which
terminate the pilasters on the upper section of the
building and the capitals of the engaged columns of the
entrance porticos. Windows on the uppers storeys have
metal surrounds. Each bay contains three windows set one
on top of each other. These are treated as a single unit
and are contained within metal surrounds. The panel which
separates the first of these from the one above contains
three inset marble panels while the second panel
separating the 2nd window from the 3rd contains a series
of floral designs.
Original interior
details:
First storey floor was
marble. The other floors were concrete covered with
battleship linoleum. Front lobby was " an exquisite
creation of Quebec grey marble with bronze fittings.
Hanging from the ceiling, some twenty - five feet above
are swinging bronze shades shielding the glare of extra
powerful lights." Radiators were made of solid
bronze. Bronze framed tables topped with thick black
marble slabs were located at regular intervals in the
front lobby.
Historical highlights:
- Main Post Office
(built in 1894 to house the post office,
government land office and the inland revenue
offices) originally occupied this site but was
torn down in 1913 with the intention of
immediately rebuilding more modern, expanded
quarters. The Rex Theatre located east of the old
post office was purchased by the government and
also demolished. The plan was to commence
construction of a new facility in the summer of
1914. When World War I was declared the Dominion
government public works projects were abandoned.
A high fence was built around the gaping
foundation hole which stood as a reminder of the
postponement for 17 years.
- Between November
23, 1912 and 1931 Calgary's postal service was
housed in temporary quarters around the city
including the Lancaster Building (1919 - 1924)
and the Southam Building (1924 - 1931).
- In 1929, after
considerable lobbying by Calgary businessmen and
officials, the federal government finally passed
an appropriation to cover the cost of a new
public building for Calgary.
- Excavation for the
Calgary Public Building began in January 1930.
The excavation company had to pour a 12 foot
concrete slab to check the heavy flow of water
which started when they began to dig. Heat was
first turned on in the building November 11,
1930.
- Between 50 and 200
men a day worked at the construction site.
- The Public Building
was designed to accommodate the post office and
consolidate federal government departments which
leased space throughout Calgary.
- Prime Minister R.B.
Bennett officially opened the building Monday
August 24, 1931, turning the key in the solid
brass doors of the main entrance. The rather low
key ceremony was attended by Calgary Postmaster
H. Hargreaves and various city officials.
- The post office and
staff of 256 occupied the first three floors.
First floor - public lobby with two entrances,
various wickets for stamps, money orders and
registered mail. The sorters worked behind the
lobby wall. Second floor - postmaster's office
and other offices as well as large rooms for
handling mail. Third floor - District
Superintendent J.B. Corley and staff whose
jurisdiction extended over the 550 post offices
within the boundaries of the Calgary division.
- The remaining five
storeys were occupied by the Department of the
Interior, Indian Affairs, Immigration and
Colonization, Department of Marine Radio, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. During World War
II " many war -related agencies worked out
of the Public Building including Wartime Oils, a
special government agency which financed
exploration for petroleum in aid of national
defence."
- Local papers
emphasized that "all Canadian materials and
labor were used in the construction." It was
reported that the project required; two car loads
of copper and lead, nine thousand cubic yards of
concrete, eight hundred tons of reinforcing
steel, eighty five thousand yards of plastering,
one hundred and twenty cars of cut stone, three
car loads of battleship linoleum and twelve car
loads of Quebec marble.
- In 1961 the post
office moved into more spacious quarters at 9th
Avenue and 1st Street S.W.
- In 1979 the City of
Calgary bought the Calgary Public Building for
$3.8 million.
- The Performing Arts
project sympathetically integrated the Public
Building and the Burns Building into the overall
design for the Calgary Centre for the Performing
Arts.
- Calgary Centre for
the Performing Arts was officially opened
September 14, 1985 by Peter Lougheed.
- Upper floors of the
Calgary Public Building still occupied by City of
Calgary offices (Parks and Recreation main
office).
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