SkyscraperPage Forum - Historic Skyscrapers in your City

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Historic Skyscrapers in your City

What are some of the early skyscrapers in your city?
I consider early skyscrapers to be those built from about 1900 to 1919 (according to Wikipedia this is the "First Great Age" of skyscrapers), 10 floors or more and ~46 metres (150 feet) in height. "Monumental" structures and churches are not included.

Winnipeg's early skyscrapers (heights measured using Google Earth Pro and do not include rooftop mechanical floors):

1904: Union Bank Building 10 floors ~45 m (148 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/unionbankbuilding.shtml

1909: Childs Building 12 floors ~49 m (161 ft) *demolished 1988
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/mcarthurbuilding.shtml

1912: Confederation Building 10 floors ~43 m (141 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/conf...building.shtml

1912: Lindsay Building 10 floors ~38 m (125 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/lindsaybuilding.shtml

1912: Electric Railway Chambers 11 floors ~45 m (148 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/elec...chambers.shtml

1913: Grain Exchange Building 10 floors ~40 m (131 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/grai...building.shtml

1913: National Bank Building 12 floors ~50 m (164 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/unio...building.shtml

1913: Hotel Fort Garry 10 floors ~59 m (194 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/fortgarryhotel.shtml

1917: Paris Building 11 floors 42 m (138 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/parisbuilding.shtml

1918: Hamilton Building 10 floors 44 m (144 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/bankofhamilton.shtml

MONTREAL

(NOT including demolished buildings)

Backstory (before 1900)

1889 - New York Life Insurance building. 8 storeys (10 with the clock tower)

http://imtl.org/edifices/New-York-Life-Insurance.php

1900 / 1919

1905 - Le Linton (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Appartement-Linton.php

1905 - Sovereign Bank building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice_Sovereign_Bank.php

1908 - Canadian Express building (now Hotel Paul) (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Canadian-Express.php

1909 - Eastern Township Bank building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-de-...que-Scotia.php

1909 - Jacobs building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=2608

1911 - Yorkshire building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice_Yorkshire.php

1912 - Shaughnessy building (401 McGill) (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Shaughnessy.php

1912 - Édifice Dandurand (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=381

1912 - Sommer building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=673

1912 - New Birks building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Le-New-Birks-Building.php

1912 - McGill building (11 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-McGill.php

1912 - Dominion Express building (12 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice_Dominion_Express.php

1912 - Duluth building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Duluth.php

1912 - Rizt Carlton Hotel (11 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Hotel-Ritz-...n-montreal.php

1913 - Édifice La Sauvegarde (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-La-Sauvegarde.php

1913 - Lewis building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Lewis.php

1913 - Unity building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Unity.php

1913 - Appartements Laurentian (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Appartements_Laurentian.php

1914 - Edifice Versailles (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice_Versailles.php

1914 - Ontario building (now Loft des arts) (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=2429

1914 - Drummond building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=4774

1915 - Southam building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Southam.php

1916 Windsor station / Canadian Pacific HQ (15 storeys.)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Gare-Windsor.php

1917 - Salada building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Salada.php

Afterstory 1919-30

1920 - Atlantic building (11 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/LOFT-COM.php

1920 - 2015 Drummond (1o storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Le-2015-rue-Drummond.php

1921 - Hotel Mont-Royal (now Les Cours Mont-Royal) (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Cours_Mont-Royal.php

1921 - Annexe Archambault (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Annexe_Archambault.php

1922 - Canada Cement building ( 10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Canada-Ciment-Company.php

1923 - Caron building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=343

1925 - Acadia building (12 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Acadia-Apartments.php

1926 - Le Chateau (15 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Le-Chateau-.php

1927 Mayor building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=674

1928 - Royal Bank building (22 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Tour-Banque-Royal.php

1928 - Themis building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice_Themis.php

1928 - Édifice Tramway (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice_Tramway.php

1928 - Édifice Confédération (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/confederation_building.php

1928 - Hôtel Berkeley (11 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Maison-Alcan.php

1929 - Appartements Gleneagles (14 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Appartements-Gleneagles.php

1929 - Bell building (22 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Bell-beaver-Hall.php

1929 - University tower (20 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/University-Tower.php

1929 - Dominion Square building (12 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Dominion-Square-Building.php

1929 - Metropole building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice-Metropole.php

1929 - Drummond Medical Building (12 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Drummond-Medical-Building.php

1929 - Balfour building (10 storeys)

http://imtl.org/image.php?id=689

1930 - Ford Hotel (13 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Hotel-Ford.php

1930 - Montreal Star building (12 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Edifice_Montreal_Star_II.php

1930 - Aldred building (23 storeys)

http://imtl.org/edifices/Aldred-Building.php

Sun Life building followed in 1931.

Some of Winnipeg's "afterstory" skyscrapers:

1916/1921: Eaton's Mail Order Buildings 9 floors ~52 m (171 ft)
http://winnipegdowntownplaces.blogsp...ail-order.html

Winnipeg had several 9 floor buildings built from 1900-1930, but most were about 36 m (118 ft) tall.

1936: Federal Building 11 floors ~48 m (158 ft)
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/norwester.shtml

Some unbuilt proposals:
1907:
http://archiseek.com/2012/1907-unbui...reet-winnipeg/

1919:
http://archiseek.com/2009/1919-hudso...ipeg-manitoba/

1929:
http://archiseek.com/2012/1929-propo...ding-winnipeg/

Based on a book I read years ago about Montreal's historic skyscrapers, no less than 72 structures of at least 40m were built in Montreal from 1888 to 1939. The vast majority of which remain to this day, and the vast majority of which are exactly 10 floors and 40m in height (40m was the height limit in Mtl until 1922).

As I've argued on this site before, an often forgotten early skyscraper in Montreal is the former Canada Life HQ (now private residences). It was built in 1895 and was arguably Canada's first skyscraper built with a steel structure.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...treal_1897.jpg

It is often dismissed in such cases because it only has 8 floors, but Google Earth measurements give it an exact height of 40m. This would make it Canada's first true skyscraper.

Vancouver always surprises me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim (Post 7777293)

sounds like a book I read once too.

The demolished Temple Building in Toronto was completed in 1895. Presumably it started construction before this one based on it being taller.

I'd love the get more info about the temple building. The only info i could get was from wikipedia and torontoist, which says the temple building was completed in 1896 and was about 37m tall. Also, this building was one of the last to have cast-iron framing (the same type of framing as Mtl's NY life building of 1888).

Also, based on the photo I don't think 37m is accurate.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...2C_Toronto.jpg

http://torontoist.com/attachments/to...nBayStreet.jpg

I'm kind of torn about the loss of the Temple Building. I think it was historically significant, but I also find its massing and details to be a bit ungainly. It wasn't exactly the most beautiful building of its time.

It's not a skyscraper, but another substantial building from that era that still exists is Toronto's Confederation Life building, which is just a block away on Yonge and Richmond.

http://torontoplaques.com/Graphics/C..._Building2.jpg

Again, it's historically very significant and should be preserved but, for some reason, I find it to be a bit graceless:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ng_Toronto.jpg

I can't be alone in thinking this. To this day, despite being in a great location, it doesn't seem to attract great retail or commercial tenants. You can still see the drop ceilings and fluorescent lights in the offices, and the storefronts along Yonge still have the same shite awnings from the late 80s.

Dates are hard to define even for new builds. The City of Toronto's inventory of heritage structures lists it as 1895.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck (Post 7777438)

Yep. I'm not a fan of the Temple Building and even less of one for the Board for Trade building (another hugely popular lost building) . Both were redeveloped with mediocre replacements.

The Star Building was the architectural loss. The Bank of Montreal Building was a needless loss that framed the northwest corner of King and Bay nicely. The rest of the losses were decent to quite bad.

My favourite in Edmonton, the McLeod Building, 1915.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...t_Edmonton.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org

/\ If we are to include buildings of 8 or 9 storeys, I could easily add twice as much buildings in my precedent list!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl (Post 7777651)

/\ If we are to include buildings of 8 or 9 storeys, I could easily add twice as much buildings in my precedent list!

Of course you could for Montreal. I realize that the OP stated 10 floors or more and ~46 m in height. The Canada Bldg doesn't meet those bars, but it is from the targeted era, and represents Saskatoon's only entrant from this era of great expansion and optimism for Canadian cities. Local press would most certainly have described it as a "skyscraper" when built, as nothing else in the city compared. I don't think it hurts to throw in one local entry that mostly fits the theme. :)

/\ Of course and thanks for contributing to the thread. I was just saying' No harm done.

That 8 storey Canada Building is quite impressive considering Saskatoon's population at the time was only about 15,000. Most communities of that size back then would've had buildings of 4 or 5 floors at most.

Wait there's actually a 46 metre threshold for this thread? That's the most random number ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim (Post 7777851)

Wait there's actually a 46 metre threshold for this thread? That's the most random number ever.

It happens to be equivalent to 150 feet.

It's easy to forget how historic Vancouver is, in parts. It doesn't jump out at you the way it does in Winnipeg, let alone Montreal or Halifax.