The Great Canadian City Halls And Government Buildings Thread

[Architype]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I've visited the Confederation Building and enjoyed the visit with a great tour guide. He let us spend lots of time in the legislature on our own since my wife and I were the only visitors on the tour. He said many of the same things you just mentioned about why the building is so unlike any other provincial legislature and how other provinces gave gifts for the decor and objects. What really surprised me is when I asked him what percentage of visitors were from out-of-province that Summer and he said everyone! He said that it's not a place that people living there want to visit.

As for parliaments, the Ontario Legislative Assembly is referred to as our provincial parliament and our members are MPPs (Member of Provincial Parliament) I know that yours are MHAs but your House of Assembly is a parliament even if it's not called one.

That's cool, I probably haven't been inside the building since I worked there, but I remember that it was more of a place to go when I was a child, to see the museum at the top. I agree with SHH on almost all of these assertions, although he is a little harsh on Smallwood's intentions. I want to point out one difference though; the buildings he refers to are not just ugly because they are "modern" (mostly mid century), but because they are "utilitarian", and not great architecture, more like government federal buildings. In spite of that stereotype, Vancouver just went to great measures to conserve the mid century Post Office here with new development.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Architype

That's cool, I probably haven't been inside the building since I worked there, but I remember that it was more of a place to go when I was a child, to see the museum at the top. I agree with SHH on almost all of these assertions, although he is a little harsh on Smallwood's intentions. I want to point out one difference though; the buildings he refers to are not just ugly because they are "modern" (mostly mid century), but because they are "utilitarian", and not great architecture, more like government federal buildings. In spite of that stereotype, Vancouver just went to great measures to conserve the mid century Post Office here with new development.

Definitely designed to be utilitarian. While it may not appeal to many people today, it may be seen in a different light down the road. Plus, that building could be changed on the outside more easily if need be.

As for Smallwood, I know a number of older Newfoundlanders who have told me about him. I've heard so many good and bad things about him.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Definitely designed to be utilitarian. While it may not appeal to many people today, it may be seen in a different light down the road. Plus, that building could be changed on the outside more easily if need be.

As for Smallwood, I know a number of older Newfoundlanders who have told me about him. I've heard so many good and bad things about him.

Certainly. The university buildings in particular are utilitarian, but this has continued IMO even to the present day. There are varying opinions of Smallwood; he was a socialist, but he hung on too long. I met Smallwood once in the 80s, technically, and my dad & grandfather met him a few times. He stayed in our house once when I was a baby, during one of his coronation campaigns.

[megadude]

Interesting case of Brutalism here for Brantford’s city hall. It replaced the old one, which I couldn’t find a pic of in its original form but the white one is the remodelling of the original into stucco exterior. The original was demolished and replaced by the Eaton Market Square. However, last year, they actually moved the offices of city hall to an old but renovated federal building. Not sure what is housed in the brutalist structure now.



Brandon Bartoszek



https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/276219



Sean Marshall



https://www.brantbeacon.ca/brantford...-land-dispute/

[SteelTown]

Hamilton City Hall is getting prepared for Christmas, the Christmas Tree being delivered


https://www.facebook.com/inthehammer

[J.OT13]

Hamilton's City Hall is such a great International style building. Great location in the middle of the Downtown. Too bad for all the surface parking at the back.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Hamilton's City Hall is such a great International style building. Great location in the middle of the Downtown. Too bad for all the surface parking at the back.

One of the very best in Canada. Outstanding.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I love Hamilton's City Hall.

[J.OT13]

We have two other City Hall threads:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...ight=city+hall

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...ight=city+hall

We ok if I merge them into one?

[megadude]

Don't know if anyone posted York Region's admin centre in Newmarket before. Cool design.


https://www.glassdoor.com/Photos/Yor...-IMG280580.htm


https://www.flickr.com/photos/pokoroto/8745669719

[J.OT13]

Douglas Cardinal?

[Airboy]

I was going to say the same thing. Looks like a Cardinal. But I don't recall him doing anything out there. other than Ottawa.

Other than the spires it looks like portions of the Museum Of Civilization.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Airboy

I was going to say the same thing. Looks like a Cardinal. But I don't recall him doing anything out there. other than Ottawa.

Other than the spires it looks like portions of the Museum Of Civilization.

Yup, Douglas Cardinal:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Cardinal

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Yup, Douglas Cardinal:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Cardinal

I've worked on a good number of his projects. Almost all the Alberta onces.

Just about to start a major Life Cycle over hall of the St Albert Place project. Was supposed to have started last fall but another St Albert project got pushed forward after we found some major issues when we started that renovation.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by megadude

Brandon Bartoszek

This is a cool building, however Brutalism looks best when it has greenery and landscaping around it.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

This is a cool building, however Brutalism looks best when it has greenery and landscaping around it.

Most definitely. Surroundings are important.

[TorontoDrew]

I love Vancouver's city Hall, but it's location is so strange, it's located far from the core and is placed on the property more like a provincial legislative building. Not complaining I 'm just curious how the location was chosen.

[_Citizen_Dane_]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I love Vancouver's city Hall, but it's location is so strange, it's located far from the core and is placed on the property more like a provincial legislative building. Not complaining I 'm just curious how the location was chosen.

It’s a bit of long read, but David Monteyne’s “From Canvas to Concrete in Fifty Years” covers the construction of City Hall in a lot of depth.

Otherwise, long story short, it was an exercise in city-building, so claimed the leading force behind its construction, Mayor Gerald Gatten McGeer. Vancouver had, about five years prior, annexed the municipalities of South Vancouver and Point Grey and it was thought to be a good show of support to have the civic offices nearer the centre of the city’s enlarged borders.

Previously there'd been plans for a civic centre project along Burrard Street but they didn't really go anywhere on account of the Depression.

[Tone]

Le Palais de justice de Rimouski (courthouse) recently completed retrofit/extension viewed from the back