Edwardian Buildings
and the Beaux-Arts School:
A Revival of Historicism
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Buildings and the Beaux-Arts School: A Revival of Historicism
There was a revival of historicists’ styles in North
America brought about by the World's Exposition in Chicago
in 1893. The Exposition featured the work of many American
architects who had been trained in Paris at the Ecole des
Beaux-Arts. Some of America's foremost Beaux-Art firms - McKim
Mead & White and Carrere & Hastings of New York -
also designed buildings in the District. Their Neo-Classical
and Renaissance Revival styles were seen as a reflection of
Canadian and American wealth - particularly favoured by banks
and other financial institutions. Canada's foremost firm -
Darling & Pearson of Toronto - became the leading bank
designer in Winnipeg, having developed corporate styles for
many of its clients. Edwardian banks and offices constructed
of steel faced with decorative stone and terra cotta (moulded,
fired and unglazed clay) quickly replaced earlier stone and
brick buildings.
Darling and Pearson was one of the Canada's leading commercial
architectural firms at the turn of the century. Frank Darling,
the senior partner of the firm, was considered one of the
greatest architects of the British Empire. He trained in Britain
and entered a partnership with John Pearson in 1895. Darling
was presented with the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in
1915 by the Royal institute of British Architects. Pearson
was born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1888, apprenticing
with Darling. He became best known as the architect for the
Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.
Those District Buildings that are transitional between Victorian
and Edwardian eras made use of the newer steel frame and concrete
technology with masonry loading bearing walls. They often
feature dressed or smooth-faced stone foundations, red clay
brick walls without much detail, rectangular or round head
with stone keystone, and dentilled or toothed metal cornices
at the roofline.
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