Best Historical Skyscraper in Winnipeg

balletomane · #1 Posted **Apr 14, 2017, 3:50 AM**

esquire · #2 Posted **Apr 14, 2017, 2:23 PM**

Tough question! I voted for the one that I think is most impressive, distinctive and reflective of Winnipeg's history... and that is the Hotel Fort Garry.

That said, I love every building on that list. You could easily make a case for any one of them.

balletomane · #3 Posted **Apr 14, 2017, 2:27 PM**

I figured that the Union Bank Building and the Hotel Fort Garry would get the most votes, considering that one is Canada's oldest "skyscraper" and the other is arguably the most ornate and distinctive in the city.
I voted for the Confederation Building, but its more of a sentimental thing, my great-great-grandmother worked in that building shortly after she arrived in Winnipeg in the early-1910's.
Its a shame that the Childs Building (211 Portage) was demolished to make way for 201 Portage, its the only 10+ story from Winnipeg's boom period that was demolished (unless you include the Ogilvie Mill), but it would also be odd if we didn't have that current cluster of high-rises at Portage and Main.

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/mcarthurbuilding.shtml

LilZebra · #4 Posted **Apr 20, 2017, 10:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Tough question! I voted for the one that I think is most impressive, distinctive and reflective of Winnipeg's history... and that is the Hotel Fort Garry.

That said, I love every building on that list. You could easily make a case for any one of them.

Yes, the Poll should have been multi-choice.

balletomane · #5 Posted **Apr 20, 2017, 10:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilZebra

Yes, the Poll should have been multi-choice.

If I make a poll similar to this one in the future about another topic I'll make it multiple choice. I only joined the forum last month and didn't realize that was an option, still getting to know the place!

Thanks to everyone who posted photos above, I didn't want to cause I was afraid they'd end up far too large which is an annoyance to scroll through!

balletomane · #6 Posted **Apr 20, 2017, 11:57 PM**

Revised list of Winnipeg's tallest buildings pre-WW2 including rooftop floors, in brackets is the height without rooftop floors for comparison:

1. Hotel Fort Garry.....................59 m (59 m)
2. Eaton's Mail Order Building(s)...58 m (52 m)
3. National Bank Building.............55 m (50 m)
4. Childs Building.......................52 m (49 m)
5. Federal Building.....................48 m (48 m)
6. Union Bank Building................48 m (45 m)
7. Electric Railway Chambers.......48 m (45 m)
8. Bank of Hamilton Building........48 m (44 m)
9. Paris Building.........................46 m (42 m)
10. Grain Exchange Building.........46 m (40 m)
11. Confederation Building............45 m (42 m)
12. Lindsay Building.....................44 m (38 m)
13. Marlborough Hotel..................44 m (36 m)
14. Great West Life Building..........43 m (36 m)
15. Eaton's Department Store........41 m (36 m)
16. Boyd Building.........................41 m (36 m)
17. Ogilvie Mills Elevator...............40 m (40 m) ???
18. Sterling Building.....................39 m (36 m)
19. Somerset Building...................39 m (35 m)
20. Watkins Building.....................35 m (35 m)

Andy6 · #7 Posted **Apr 21, 2017, 1:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by balletomane

Revised list of Winnipeg's tallest buildings pre-WW2 including rooftop floors, in brackets is the height without rooftop floors for comparison:

1. Hotel Fort Garry.....................59 m (59 m)
2. Eaton's Mail Order Building(s)...58 m (52 m)
3. National Bank Building.............55 m (50 m)
4. Childs Building.......................52 m (49 m)
5. Federal Building.....................48 m (48 m)
6. Union Bank Building................48 m (45 m)
7. Electric Railway Chambers.......48 m (45 m)
8. Bank of Hamilton Building........48 m (44 m)
9. Paris Building.........................46 m (42 m)
10. Grain Exchange Building.........46 m (40 m)
11. Confederation Building............45 m (42 m)
12. Lindsay Building.....................44 m (38 m)
13. Marlborough Hotel..................44 m (36 m)
14. Great West Life Building..........43 m (36 m)
15. Eaton's Department Store........41 m (36 m)
16. Boyd Building.........................41 m (36 m)
17. Ogilvie Mills Elevator...............40 m (40 m) ???
18. Sterling Building.....................39 m (36 m)
19. Somerset Building...................39 m (35 m)
20. Watkins Building.....................35 m (35 m)

If you're counting 8 storey buildings like the Great-West Life Building, there were a number of others that are no longer around in the 8-9 storey range - the Notre Dame Investment Building, the Trust & Loan Building, the Coca-Cola Building (I think it was around 8 floors), plus some of the bigger warehouses like Codville. The Keewayden Bldg. should probably be in there too.

tree · #8 Posted **Apr 14, 2017, 6:37 PM**

I legit have a hard time choosing - all of them are quite nice and a quick reminder of how cool downtown Winnipeg is.
Fort Garry Hotel is amazing but just looks a bit too castle-y ? In no way is it ugly just not my 'natural' definition of a skyscraper (even historical) - though it probably technically is.
Went with the Paris building as when the sunlight is on it (like in the picture on the page) it looks very high end / almost NEW - love the rounded edge facing the street corner and something about those golden / bronze 'caps' on the windows makes it seem almost to have an 'Egyptian' vibe. Also like the scale between the 'sections' of it - wish that top part had a few more floors actually (maybe 5 rows instead of 3) but may be overkill.

--

Does anyone have a good discussion article or something on why we don't more modern buildings done with these styles? I understand how architecture has to represent the times / like music can't just keep doing the same thing over and over again but even new music takes influence from older music / eras (lots of bands are picking at 90s vibes the last 5 years - before that lots of 80s lifts, etc). I believe its mostly involved with labor cost these days but wonder if anyone with an ego said "I want to make my own Chrysler tower" or something lol.

It would be 'fake old' I guess, but for smaller buildings in the Exchange it could help fit the aesthetic when the facade -type rebuild isn't an option (like if whole building needs to be torn down).

Andy6 · #9 Posted **Apr 14, 2017, 11:14 PM**

The Confederation Building is the best - with its curved facade, intact cornice and position of prominence on Main Street. It would be a memorable building in any city. Toronto, where I live, has nothing that even comes close to it (or to most any of these).

jmt18325 · #10 Posted **Apr 15, 2017, 1:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

The Confederation Building is the best - with its curved facade, intact cornice and position of prominence on Main Street. It would be a memorable building in any city. Toronto, where I live, has nothing that even comes close to it (or to most any of these).

I second that.

balletomane · #11 Posted **Apr 15, 2017, 2:23 AM**

I was wondering, in addition to the buildings mentioned above, would you guys also consider the Boyd Building, Sterling Building, Marlborough Hotel and Cityplace historic skyscrapers? They all fall short of 10 story criteria I set in the poll question, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't have been "skyscrapers" back in their day. Are there any in the poll question that would guys wouldn't consider historic skyscrapers?

Andy6 · #12 Posted **Apr 15, 2017, 4:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by balletomane

I was wondering, in addition to the buildings mentioned above, would you guys also consider the Boyd Building, Sterling Building, Marlborough Hotel and Cityplace historic skyscrapers? They all fall short of 10 story criteria I set in the poll question, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't have been "skyscrapers" back in their day. Are there any in the poll question that would guys wouldn't consider historic skyscrapers?

If it's wider than it is tall, I wouldn't call it a "skyscraper". I don't think the Boyd Building or the Sterling Building (or the Somerset) are big enough. Even the Bank of Hamilton is just a very fine office block, much like the old GW Life building on Lombard. Skyscrapers were Childs (McArthur), Union Bank, Confederation Life, Union Trust and the Paris Building.

1ajs · #13 Posted **Apr 15, 2017, 3:50 AM**

no watkins building?

balletomane · #14 Posted **Apr 15, 2017, 12:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ajs

no watkins building?

Forgot about the Watkins! Its actually one of my favourite buildings in the city, but unique in the criteria I set in the poll question, the majority of the building is 8 stories unless viewed from the north side, then its 10. I guess a little similar to the Federal Building, most of the building is 7 stories except the northwestern corner which rises to 11.

If I tried to "define" historic skyscrapers in Winnipeg I would say something like "all buildings rising to approximately 50 metres in height, and of 10 stories or more, built prior to the end of the First World War." In that case they would include the Union Bank Building (1904), Childs Building (1909-1988), Lindsay Building (1911), Confederation Building (1912), Electric Railway Chambers (1912), National Bank Building (1913), Hotel Fort Garry (1913), Paris Building (1917) and Bank of Hamilton Building (1918). Honourable mentions to the Watkins Building (1914) and Federal Building (1936). The Grain Exchange Building (1908), despite being 10 stories is only 110 feet in height.

1ajs · #15 Posted **Apr 15, 2017, 1:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by balletomane

Forgot about the Watkins! Its actually one of my favourite buildings in the city, but unique in the criteria I set in the poll question, the majority of the building is 8 stories unless viewed from the north side, then its 10. I guess a little similar to the Federal Building, most of the building is 7 stories except the northwestern corner which rises to 11.

neat fact you can take the elevator to the roof has 2 mechanical floors puting it at 10 floors