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Royal Bank of Canada(-) Chilliwack, BC, Canada Commercial, Bank [2 floors]; wood composite Client: Royal Bank of Canada 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, a major business and financial centre, in 1887. Soon, the bank expanded to include three branches in Montreal and seven branches in different Canadian provinces, as well as two in the United States and one in Cuba. In order to reflect the bank’s national and international orientation, its name was changed to the Royal Bank of Canada in 1901. By 1907, the head office was moved from Halifax to Montreal.
The Royal Bank commissioned the American-born architect Howard Colton Stone to design its head office on Saint-Jacques Street in 1908. The Maxwell brothers were commissioned to work on several other branches and did additions and alterations from time to time. For these commissions, the architects used a Beaux-arts style in order to convey an image of solidity. A significant example was the bank’s branch located in Westmount, designed in 1904. It featured classical elements giving compactness and unity to the building.
The branch in Chilliwack featured a corner entrance; a long-standing tradition in North American bank design since it drew in clients from both streets. Here the corner was rounded and the main entrance marked by an interpretation of the bank’s coat of arms supported by two Doric columns at the main entrance. The side and front elevations are ornate with Ionic pilasters and pediments. A continuous cornice crowns the building. The different ornamentation, inspired by the sacred treasures of ancient Greece, gives a character of monumentality to this small bank. Other remarkable features are the extensive windows that not only contribute to the picturesque modern style, but also allow for proper illumination inside the offices. On ground level a small vestibule leads to a larger public banking space, which is flanked on the left by the manager’s office. The vault was placed at the back of the room behind the counters. The upper floor was divided into four offices and a sitting room, which can be reached directly from the street through a secondary access located at the front. Holdings: Bank (2 floors); wood composite | |
| I M A G E S: Drawings | |
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