1919 – Blackburn Building, 85 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Canada

Robert and Russell Blackburn commissioned the multi-functional structure containing retail, office and hotel space built in three sections. It was also Ottawa’s earliest high-rise development and upon completion, it was the grandest and most ambitious non-governmental, commercial building project in the city. Also known as the Union Bank building in its early years. The cost of the structure complete was approximately $600,000.

“Comparatively few large commercial buildings were erected in Canada during the war. Consequently, the new Union Bank Building represents an important development which denotes the growth and progress of Ottawa. The structure has a frontage of 139 feet on Sparks Street and 100 feet on Metcalfe Street and is ton stories and basement in height. The ground floor is divided into banking quarters on the corner, six stores and a hotel. Above this are offices, averaging about thirty-six to the floor. In the basement is a grill room in connection with the hotel, a barber shop, public lavatories, large billiard room, storage, boiler room, power equipment and electric switch room.

The main entrance on the ground floor opens into a large vestibule, having a staircase to the basement. The main hall from Sparks Street, which connects with the Metcalfe Street entrance, is equipped with four elevators, capable of operating at a speed of over four hundred feet per minute. A cigar, candy and newsstand appropriate to the design is provided for the convenience of the occupants. The elevators are enclosed in bronze doors, and the walls of the corridor and entrance are faced to the height of the ceiling with Paonazzo marble.

Steel covered with concrete is employed for the framework of the structure, and all floors throughout are of concrete, reinforced with expanded metal and wire cloth. The exterior walls are of grey Stanstead granite for the two lower stories, with Ohio sandstone above. A feature of the main entrance is an elaborately carved lintel in one piece, weighing about eight tons. The cornices are of copper, with a heavy embossed lion’s head capping of each pier, and having electric lights between the panels for illumination at night. The show windows are exceptionally well fitted with curved glass and are panelled on the inside with inlaid mahogany. Each store is also provided with a gallery, which not only attractively adds to the scheme, but also increases the amount of space available for the use of the tenants.”
Construction, August 1919

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