Royal Bank of Canada(-)
Havana, West Indies, Cuba
Commercial, Bank [2 floors]; roughcast

Client: Royal Bank of Canada
Architect: E. & W.S. Maxwell

Description: The Royal Bank of Canada was founded in Halifax in 1864 and federally chartered in 1869 under the name of the Merchants Bank of Halifax. As a result of the relative economic decline of the Maritimes after Confederation the bank began a process of expansion outside the region. The first step was to establish an agency in Bermuda in the early 1880s and a branch in Montreal, the principal centre of business and finance, in 1887. The Royal Bank of Canada soon expanded to three branches in Montreal and seven branches in different Canadian provinces, as well as two in the United States and one in Cuba. The front elevation of the Cuban branch shows a magnificent Beaux-arts design. The access to the bank was marked by an impressive two-storey arch, which was flanked by windows with ornamented keystones and wrought iron. A thick entablature with a parapet reinforces the image of solidity. The inclined exterior walls at the entrance are the distinctive features on the elevation. That particular detail seems to resemble the exterior walls of the old city of Havana where this bank was located.

Holdings: Bank (2 floors); roughcast
8 Drawings: 2 ink on linen; 3 pencil on paper; 3 blueprints
6 Presentation drawings: exterior perspective, floor plans, sections
1 Development drawing: elevation
1 Detail drawing: portal