Friday, December 2, 2016

Architectural Gems In Night And Daytime

Before Remembrance Day, I was on Parliament Hill a couple of times to take in the light show of falling tulips against Centre Block. Leaving the Hill, I thought of taking nighttime images of two nearby buildings, and then daytime images of each.

This first one is one you've probably noticed in the background of shots, directly across the street from Centre Block. It is owned by the government, and once housed the American embassy. It is in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, dating back to the 1930s. It has stood empty for years since the Americans moved into their current embassy site. For a time it was to be the home of a national portrait gallery, but one of the very first acts of the Harper regime (not at all missed, incidentally) was to kill the concept. A new government is working on new uses for the building, which deserves some worthy use.


The second one is down the street, with an entrance down along Sparks Street, and I've shown it to you before. The Sir John A. Macdonald Building is named for our first Prime Minister. It dates back to the 1930s, when it was built to house the main branch here in the city of the Bank of Montreal. Also in the Beaux-Arts style, it has been fully restored and is now used as a reception space for Parliamentary occasions. I missed getting in here this year for Doors Open, a mistake I'll not make again.

23 comments:

  1. One of my favourite styles of architecture William.. will be good to see inside next year ☺

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  2. I love night photos. They steal my heart.

    Janis
    GDP

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  3. Those are some very nice night photos William.

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  4. all the detail is beautiful! love the windows! have a great weekend william!

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  5. i always wonder why things look better at night, in the glow of the lights. kind of like my Christmas tree, the glow is so gorgeous. nice pics. ( :

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  6. You are fortunate to have so many various architectural beauties. We have some older buildings here, but nothing like this. In Florida, when a building gets to be 20 years old, we tear it down and erect another pile of bricks and mortar.

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  7. I like those windows! They must look great from the inside too.

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  8. @Grace: the irony is that this year's Doors Open I was within a block of the Macdonald building when it was open. I came back later and they'd closed earlier than most sites.

    @Janis: when they work, they work well.

    @Bill: thank you!

    @Tanya: thanks!

    @Beth: these stand out in day and night.

    @Lowell: we have a lot of Gothic architecture here. Not as much Beaux-Arts, but these two really stand out well.

    @Marleen: I expect they do. I missed a chance a couple of months ago to get into the former embassy- they'd opened the building to members of the public to have a look inside.

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  9. I love that fancy grill work over the windows.

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  10. The Bank if Montreal built quite a few banks of a similar pattern...only smaller. A portrait gallery is needed . Harper would probably sold it for a dollar to one of his friends.

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  11. I love the artistic window grills!

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  12. Beautiful photos. I love the night view!

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  13. They are both wonderful buildings, William!

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  14. @Sharon: so do I.

    @Red: there are a couple of buildings along Sparks- the CIBC bank and the former Scotiabank main branch, which now houses an annex of the Library of Parliament- that also seem to be of this style and period. We do need that portrait gallery. I think it would be the best use of the building.

    @Linda: they're a beautiful detail.

    @Tamago: thank you!

    @RedPat: they certainly are.

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  15. I think both of those structures resemble bank buildings.

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  16. Adore the day/night views. Great contrast. The buildings look quite serious by day.

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  17. Doesn't look at all like my bank. :-)

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  18. Nothing like the bank architect prior to the 1950's.

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  19. Both buildings are really beautiful - lovely details.

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  20. Yep Don't miss Harper. Sadly, I've a couple friend I just can't follow as the politician-bashing has become a habit.

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  21. @Catalyst: it was a popular style in the 30s.

    @Gemma: they definitely do.

    @Revrunner: nor most of the banks we typically see here.

    @Mari: yes, the more modern stuff tends to be bland.

    @Kay: they stand out beautifully.

    @Jennifer: I'm glad he's gone.

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  22. I wish we had even a fraction of the amazing old structures out here. We have none...

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    1. We're lucky to have a good amount of beautiful architecture.

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