1913 – Electric Railway Chambers Building, Winnipeg, Manitoba

The Winnipeg Electric Railway Co., a firm which operated the city’s electric streetcar system and its first hydro-electric utility, constructed this steel-frame and concrete building. It is one of the finest buildings to be erected in the District in the Chicago School style as influenced by architect Louis Sullivan. The Italian Renaissance facades are of polished granite on the lower two floors with typical Sullivanesque terracotta detailing, including lion statuary on the upper floors. The Winnipeg Electric Railway Co. was taken over by the Government of Manitoba in 1953.

The entrance hallway and lift lobby is elaborately decorated with marble (and one very worried looking lion) and a fine painted beam ceiling. The interior of the Manitoba Heritage public office is similarly decorated with fine columns and painted detail.

“The structure will be 10 storeys high and when completed will be one of Winnipeg’s most imposing down-town structures. The accompanying cut will give some idea of the general appearance of the building as it will be when completed. The building site is on the corner of Notre Dame avenue and Albert street. The foundations rest on 42 caissons, four feel in diameter, carried down 60 feet to bed rock. There will be a sub-basement, basement and ten storeys abo\e the ground. It will be of steel construction throughout, thoroughly fireproofed, with the first two floors of dressed granite, and the five feet above the sidewalk line of polished granite. The upper floors are finished in terra cotta. The outside will show a novel study in gothic design, and will be outlined at night with electric lights.

The building will be served with three elevators, with all the latest devices. The corridors will all have tiled floors with marble wainscoting. A complete vacuum cleaning plant will be installed with connections on every floor. There will also be automatic heat regulating thermostats, and a system of mechanical ventilation. A special study has also been made of the artificial lighting for the building, though as there is street exposure on three sides of the building there will be an unusually large amount of natural lighting. The heating equipment will be installed in the sub-basement. The ground floor will be given over entirely to public offices for the power, light and gas departments of the company. The second floor will be devoted to the company’s private offices, there being here offices fur the manager, the secretary-treasurer, the purchasing agent, the general superintendent, the board room, and the engineering department. The remainder of the building will be rented fur general office purposes. It is expected to have the first three floors completed by the first of March, 1913, and the remainder of the building by Mav 1st.”
Engineering and Contract Record, September 25, 1912

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