| Architect: W.G.Milne. A.Dale and Associates.
Contractor:
Poole Construction Co.,
Structural - Ricketts, Evers and Associates, Electrical
and Mechanical - Reid, Crowther and Partners Ltd.
Original
cost:
Estimates range from
$2.5 to $3.5 million.
Original owners:
Husky Oil Limited and
Marathon Realty as part of the Palliser Square
redevelopment.
Construction materials:
Concrete and steel.
Original interior
details:
Full 360 degree
panoramic views from restaurant and observation levels.
Restaurant with revolving floor and seating for 200.
First observation deck with capacity for 250 people.
Second observation desk with cocktail lounge and snack
bar. Skydomes in roof. Two steel encased staircases with
762 stairs from top to bottom.
Two 25 passenger high
speed elevators which travelled to the top in 63 seconds.
Historical highlights:
- Built on the site
of Canadian Pacific Railway's station which was
demolished in June 1966 to accommodate the
Palliser Square Project and the Husky Tower.
- Construction on the
Tower, the tallest free-standing structure in
North America, began February 19, 1967. 4,000
cubic yards of soil were removed from the
excavation.
- Pouring of concrete
began May 15, 1967 and was completed 24 days
later. The record pour for a 24 hour period was
39 feet.
- Foundation was 20
feet below ground level and contained 2,800 cubic
yards of concrete and 90 tons of reinforcing
steel.
- The Tower was 626
feet high (about 4,000 feet above sea level) and
weighed 12,000 tons.
- Officially opened
by Premier Ernest Manning June 29, 1968 who said,
" There are many people you meet who you
never remember because there was nothing
distinctive about them. Cities are like people,
but Calgary will never be forgotten by visitors
because of this distinctive tower."
- In 1968 elevator
rates to the observation terrace were $1.00 per
adult and .50 cents for children 12 years and
under.
- 1970 Marathon
Realty acquired a controlling interest in Husky
Tower and by November 1971 changed the name to
Calgary Tower.
- In 1975 members of
the Dutch Canadian Club raised $100,000 to
purchase a carillon and gave it to the city as a
Centennial present. The carillon was played daily
at noon from the Tower lobby until 1987 when it
was removed and placed in storage.
- In 1983 the Tower
lost its status as the tallest structure in the
city with the completion of the Petro-Canada
building.
- 1987 - a $2.4
million interior renovation. Tower-top restaurant
and lounge was expanded and modernized. Elevator
speed improved. Observation area upgraded.
Windows added to roof.
- October 1987, a
helicopter installed the world's largest Olympic
torch on top of the Tower. The $525,000 project
was a gift of Olympic sponsor Canadian Western
Natural Gas. When lit, the flame was visible 15
to 20 kilometres away and required 30,000 cubic
feet of natural gas an hour. The flame flickered
brightly throughout the Winter Olympics held in
Calgary in February 1988 and more recently in
February 1998 to celebrate the 10th anniversary.
- 1989 - a $10.5
million renovation and expansion program.
- In 1996 the Calgary
Tower was sold when Canadian Pacific Limited sold
its Marathon real estate division, which included
the Tower, for $952 million to a company owned
equally by Oxford Properties Group Inc. and the
international arm of General Electric Capital
Corp. Oxford became owner of the entire Palliser
Square complex.
- Calgary is a
founding member of the World Federation of Great
Towers which includes such famed structures as
the CN Tower and the Eiffel Tower.
- The Tower which is
now the third tallest building in Calgary next to
Petro-Canada and Bankers Hall attracts more than
500,000 visitors annually.
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