Big empty buildings

[MsMe]

I found this info on Westinghouse but not sure which year that particular building was built though.

1897 - First Westinghouse manufacturing operation outside of the United Sates was established in Hamilton, Ontario.

1905 - A second Westinghouse plant is constructed in Hamilton, the early role of this facility was the manufacture of motors and generators of less than 50 horsepower.

[highwater]

Definitely after 1905.

[MsMe]

The style didn't look those ages to me either. The style looks later to me.

[matt602]

There's a time capsule on the front of the building. I can't remember what year it was, however.

[flar]

It was built in 1917. The top two stories were added in 1928.


From Hamilton's Heritage Vol. 5:


Designed by the predecessor of Prack & Prack, architects of the Pigott Building
(1929) and the Lister Block (1923), the building is representative of the
industrial office buildings designed by Canadian architects in the early 20th
century. The Westinghouse head office was an attractive and functional
building designed to accommodate the company’s needs as well as to project a
successful corporate image. The advanced reinforced concrete construction is
expressed in the grid-like composition of the building’s two end sections.
Emphasis is given to the top and bottom floors, through the use of a decorative
stone cornice, string courses, and arched window and door surrounds with
prominent keystones. Another noteworthy feature of the original design was the
suspended ornamental metal canopy over the main entrance doorway
(removed in 1969 or 1970). Decorative plaques between the arched openings
of the first storey feature the Westinghouse initials.

[flar]

I changed the name of this thread to "Big empty buildings"

We can continue to talk about big empty buildings here since there are quite a few.

[omro]

And when was the federal building built? To be honest that actually looks very modern, which is why I'm shocked that it's empty.

[matt602]

Federal building was the 1950's. 1955 or 1951 I believe.

[omro]

Originally Posted by matt602

Federal building was the 1950's. 1955 or 1951 I believe.

That's a much more attractive building for the 1950s than anywhere in the UK built, our 50's buildings are bloody awful. Grey concrete horror stories.

The mix of brick and cream concrete "stonework" makes that building actually look like something built in a much more modern style. Such a shame it was abandoned. I wonder why.

[astroblaster]

Originally Posted by omro

Grey concrete horror stories.

Sounds like Brutalist style. we have a few of those, but I like them.

hamilton place, central library, that building across from st. joes hospital could all be considered Brutalist.

http://www.raisethehammer.org/index.asp?id=097

http://www.ontarioarchitecture.com/Brutalist.htm

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by omro

That's a much more attractive building for the 1950s than anywhere in the UK built, our 50's buildings are bloody awful. Grey concrete horror stories.

The mix of brick and cream concrete "stonework" makes that building actually look like something built in a much more modern style. Such a shame it was abandoned. I wonder why.

the feds needed more office space and built us that crappy new office building on Bay St north.

[astroblaster]

Originally Posted by flar

From Hamilton's Heritage Vol. 5:

WOW, i've looked at some of the LACAC documents, but never opened up volume 5. this is tremendous. what an awesome resource.

Thanks!

[omro]

Well this is unfortunately from the 60s, it's where I went to university, but it was inspired by buildings from the time and was a common style in the late 50s and 60s. I found this photo on movie-locations.com as the site has been used in a number of 60s and 70s film shoots.



Grey, drab, ugly, depressing. All of our prospectus photos showed the building through the branches of trees. I believe they've encouraged ivy to grow all over it now.

[matt602]

Looks like Hamilton Place

http://www.hecfi.on.ca/hamiltonplace/

[omro]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

the feds needed more office space and built us that crappy new office building on Bay St north.

I wonder if they still need all that space and if they've downsized...

Depressing that they'd just abandon the building and waste more public money building somewhere newer and probably uglier.

[IronWarrior]

Originally Posted by omro

What was so wrong with that building that the local government decided to move things to another building they owned, or worse built or bought a new building?

You know as much as me....and a new government building was built!! a few years back on Bay Street across from Copps Coliseum, its the 'new' Federal building........while the old one is just left vacant....I know! makes no sense.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by IronWarrior

You know as much as me....and a new government building was built!! a few years back on Bay Street across from Copps Coliseum, its the 'new' Federal building........while the old one is just left vacant....I know! makes no sense.

SHEILA!!!!!! (yelled like Fred Flintstone would)

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by astroblaster

WOW, i've looked at some of the LACAC documents, but never opened up volume 5. this is tremendous. what an awesome resource.

Thanks!

where can I find it??

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

where can I find it??

Want to find it, then apply for the committee; http://www.myhamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyre...erlyLACAC_.pdf

I was disappointed not one post to my thread, http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=158040.

Either those interested applied and wanted to keep it quiet to avoid competition, or this forum is much more talk than action. I honestly don't know which, but I'm quickly formulating an opinion.

[raisethehammer]

thanks for the links. With so many threads on this site, it's easy to miss some.
I'd love to join, but have been invited to join the Gore Park planning committee and have been involved in my community council along with meetings at city hall about LRT. I've got no time for anything else on my plate.