1912 – Administration Building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg

Originally the Manitoba Agricultural College when it was built in 1912/13, it is now the Administration Building for the University. Its central location, symmetrical facades and strong visual lines make it the focus of the campus.

“The administration building is the most impressive of the group in an architectural sense. It follows the Grecian style of architecture and is double fronted. The front and back are uniform in construction and finish, and massive entrances face in both directions, one to the north and one to the south. These entrances are decorated with four ponderous Corinthian columns, each 3 feet in diameter at the largest part. Each abacus is finely carved, the lintels are heavy and symmetrical, and the frontal completes a most effective feature to a fine structure. The central tower of the building is in the form of two octagons, the upper and smaller resting upon the lower and greater. The frontal running to the top of the fourth storev with the octagonal towers above gives a whole effect of a most impressive nature.

From the floor of the basement to the top of the tower is a distance of 112 feet. The upper tower is 26 feet high and the lower is 40 feet high. The construction is of steel, the floors being of a combination of tile and a section of concrete, this system being patented under the name of the Johnston floor system. A beam system of concrete construction is used. The building is 170 feet by 98 feet. It consists of a basement, three full storeys, and two part storeys inside the octagonal tower.

In the interior there is a rotunda extending from the first floor to the top of the tower, with the main stairway in the centre. A unique feature of the decoration will be in the different styles of architecture carried out in the columns of the rotunda : — the first floor will be in Tuscan ; the ground floor is in the Doric ; the second Ionic, the third Corinthian, and the fourth Tuscan. All the columns will be visible from the foot of the main stairs on the first floor of the building.

The main entrance and floor of the rotunda will be of white and green Mississquoi marble. The stairs are of steel, with marble treads and landing 6 feet square half way up in each storey. The entrances from the rotunda to the different portions of the building will be fitted with ornamental plaster arches. The floor throughout will be of maple with the exception of the rotunda and the main halls, the latter being of terrazzo with marble border. The ceilings will be of plaster, beamed and corniced. The outside steps are of Kettle River stone. The effect of the interior decorations will be heightened by the light from amber colored lights in the dome.”
Engineering and Contract Record, November 13 1912

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