1916 – First Church of Christ, Scientist, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Designed in the shape of a Greek cross, the building was built in two stages. The first level was completed in 1911, with the much larger second floor added during 1915-16. The original plans called for a large dome to be erected on top, but this was never implemented due to financial constraints. Instead, a large leaded glass dome was created for the roof of the main auditorium. This was later removed. At completition it was reported that the cost of the building was approximately one hundred thousand dollars. It was sold in early 2004 and was redeveloped as condominiums.

In plan this building forms a Greek cross, the extreme dimensions of which are ninety feet. The main entrance hall is twelve by sixty feet, extending transversely, with stairs at either end leading to the auditorium above. Direct access is given to a spacious foyer, forty by sixty feet, which, together with the large Sunday school room, fifty by sixty feet, takes up practically the entire ground floor. Seating accommodation is provided in the Sunday school room for three hundred pupils. The foyer has also a separate carriage entrance and a largo cloak room with racks for four hundred hangings. Additional access to the auditorium is obtained by stairs leading from the corridor in the rear, and along which are situated retiring rooms for men and women, together with a general committee room. There is also a private staircase communicating with the readers’ room above, in addition to stairs leading to the boiler room in the basement, and emergency exits opening onto a covered porch at the rear.

In the auditorium on the upper floor the seating area takes up a space of approximately sixty by ninety feet. In addition to this there is a gallery fifteen by sixty feet, situated over the main entrance, and which increases the seating capacity to a total of about eleven hundred. Immediately behind the readers’ platform there are four private rooms for use of the readers, organist and soloist. Entrance from these rooms is gained by doors at the rear of the platform which form part of the panelling. The organ loft, which is immediate.ly above, is twelve by thirty-four feet, the front being enclosed by a colonnade with open grille panelling between the columns concealing the organ from view.
Construction, November 1917

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