| Connaught Building | |
|---|---|
 Connaught Building front entrance | |
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| Location | Ottawa,Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°25′35″N75°41′41″W / 45.42639°N 75.69472°W /45.42639; -75.69472 |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | David Ewart |
| Architectural style(s) | Tudor-Gothic |
| Governing body | Public Services and Procurement Canada |
| Designated | 1990 |
TheConnaught Building is a historicoffice building inOttawa,Ontario, Canada, owned byPublic Services and Procurement Canada. It is located at 555 MacKenzie Avenue, just south of theUnited States Embassy. To the east, the building looks out on theByward Market, and to the west is MacKenzie Avenue andMajor's Hill Park. Today, it houses a portion of Headquarters operations for theCanada Revenue Agency (CRA). The Minister and Commissioner of the CRA have offices in the building.
By the early 20th century, theParliament Buildings were running out of space to house Canada's civil service and offices of the legislative branch of the government. TheTudor-Gothic structure was designed by chief architectDavid Ewart, who also did the similarly modifiedNorman style architecture of theVictoria Memorial Building of the Canadian Museum of Nature and theRoyal Canadian Mint.
Work began on the building in 1913, but theFirst World War and other problems intervened, greatly slowing construction. The building was completed in 1915 and first used as the Customs Examining Warehouse by theCanada Customs (then the country's customs and border security agency).[1] The building was named after theDuke of Connaught, third son ofQueen Victoria, who served as 10thGovernor General of Canada from 1911 to 1916. It had one basement level and seven levels above ground.
In 1971, the building underwent extensive renovation and two additional levels were created by building floors inside the high ceilings of the basement and ground floors. The building subsequently comprised two basement levels and eight above grade levels (on the Sussex Drive side). The third floor also exits to MacKenzie Avenue at street level.
The Connaught Building was designated aNational Historic Site of Canada in 1990, on the basis that the building is a testament to SirWilfrid Laurier's commitment to the enhancement of architecture in Canada's capital, and as it is one of the best works of David Ewart.[2]
The building has been designated since 1988, as a "Federal Heritage Building" of "Classified" Status, the highest level of protection for federally owned buildings, primarily for its architectural significance.[3]
Media related toConnaught Building at Wikimedia CommonsNational Historic Sites of Canada by location | |
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