Alberta Legislature Building
| Alberta Legislature Building | |
|---|---|
 The Alberta Legislature Building |
|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Address | 10800 97 Avenue NW |
| Town or city | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Country | Canada |
| Construction started | 1907 |
| Completed | 1913 |
| Cost | C$4 million dollars |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 55 metres (180 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Government of Alberta |
| Owner | Government of Alberta |
| Architect | Allan Merrick Jeffers and Richard Blakey |
The Alberta Legislature Building is located in Edmonton, Alberta, and is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly and the Executive Council.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Alberta Legislature Building was built between 1907 and 1913 in the Beaux Arts style at the same time as the much larger Saskatchewan and Manitoba legislative buildings by architects Allan Merrick Jeffers and Richard Blakey. Jeffers may have been influenced by the State House of Rhode Island, where he had been a student. The style was associated originally with the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was fashionable in North America between 1895 and 1920.
The use of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian architectural influences was considered appropriate for a public building, as they suggested power, permanence, and tradition. Beaux Arts buildings are characterized by a large central dome above a spacious rotunda, a symmetrical T-shaped plan, doors and windows decorated with arches or lintels, and a portico supported by massive columns.
The building is supported on concrete piles and constructed around a steel skeleton. The first floor is faced with Vancouver Island granite; upper floors feature sandstone from the Glenbow Quarry in Calgary. The interior fittings include imported marble, mahogany, oak, and brass.
The building is 55 metres (180 ft) long; the project cost $4 million dollars.
[edit] Other
The Alberta Legislature Building is located at 10801 97 Avenue NW, Edmonton. Free tours of the facility are offered throughout the week. The building is also connected via underground walkway to the Grandin/Government Centre LRT station.
- Photographs of the Alberta Legislature Building
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
West face
-
View from the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River
-
Main entrance
[edit] Statues and memorials at the Legislative Buildings and grounds
The fountain inside the Legislature Building was installed during 1959 to commemorate the first visit of Queen Elizabeth II to the building.[1] Also, for the province's centennial, the Queen unveiled in the same structure a series of stained glass windows that highlight the role of the monarchy in Alberta over the previous century. The centre window, at the front entrance of the building, focuses on the reign of Elizabeth II, including her royal cypher surmounted by St. Edward's Crown and flanked by wild roses, while the other windows commemorate the reign of George VI, Edward VIII, George V, and Edward VII, along with provincial emblems such as the coat of arms and the Alberta rose.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Jackson, Michael D. (2005). "The Queen of Canada in Alberta". Canadian Monarchist News (Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada) Fall-Winter 2005 (24): 14. Archived from the original on 2008-06-26. http://waybackmachine.org/*/http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2005/AutumnWinter_2005_CMN.pdf. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
- ^ "Unveiling offers window of opportunity for Royal watchers" (Press release). Queen's Printer for Alberta. 12 May 2005. http://www.gov.ab.ca/acn/200505/18019828DBBB9-BD21-42E7-A0867219AB247240.html. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alberta Legislature Building |
Coordinates: 53°32′01″N 113°30′24″W / 53.533714°N 113.506531°W
