1958 – Selected Design for City Hall, Memorial Boulevard, Winnipeg

An architectural competition was held in 1957/58 to design a new City Hall on a new site at Memorial Boulevard near the provincial legislature. One of the requirements was that the new building must in no way conflict with the existing surroundings, notably the view along Memorial toward the Legislature building. Accordingly, the winning entry and runners up are largely sited to one side of the proposed site. Never constructed, a new city hall was later built on the site of the existing building. This site is now a park.

“Jury felt that the winning entry satisfied these requirements more fully than any other entry, that it would indeed express the dignity and friendliness of a City Hall that serves the people. It exemplifies an excellent town planning concept in terms of its siting. It forms an admirable balance of masses within the area, since its high office block will be linked visually to the Legislative Building and the new Provincial Office Building. Indeed, it will complement both of these two important provincial structures.

It is a distinguished and somewhat unique concept for a City Hall as it provides separate expression to its two main functions, (1) the low unit, housing the ceremonial and public civic functions, and (2) the tall compact unit, housing the administrative departments. Furthermore, the arrangement of these two structures on the site provides two fine plazas. This dual symbolism echoes effectively the newly created separation between the Provincial legislative and administrative units. This clear expression of the dual nature of a City Hall was one of the deciding factors which lead to its choice as the winner.

The Jury liked the fact that this entry succeeded in expressing both the majestic scale required for an appropriate symbol of civic government and the human scale that welcomes the citizen in a democratic manner.”
RAIC Journal, January 1960