Royal Bank of Canada Westmount Branch [Retail Store](11/1903-6/1904)
4192 Sainte-Catherine Street, Westmount, QC, Canada
Commercial, Bank [basement, 2 floors]; stone; wall bearing

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

Description: The first suburban branch of the Royal Bank of Canada was opened in Westmount in 1894, but this soon became too small and it was decided to build a new branch two blocks to the south. In 1903, the Maxwell brothers were commissioned to design the new Bank on the corner of Sainte-Catherine Street and Green Avenue. The bank is a two-story block with sandstone façades resting on a limestone base. Its exterior architecture is characterized by the compactness and unity achieved by means of the great proportions of its classical details. The central doorway on Sainte-Catherine Street is decorated with a pediment and consoles, flanked by two-storey Ionic columns, which support the lintel with the bank’s name. The ornate, pedimented stone doorway is set into the lower glass window area, the upper floor windows being set apart by a horizontal band of masonry. Crowning the main façade is a huge carved rendering of the insignia used by the bank from 1902 to 1962, which resembles the coat arms of Great Britain. The use of classical elements inspired by the sacred treasures of ancient Greece give this small building an image of monumentality. As a scheme for banks, it was popular around the turn of century. The extensive windows are a response to the need for light in the interior, a detail that gives a look of modernity to the building. On Green Avenue the façade is five bays wide with three central ground floor windows light the banking room. The windows of both floors are set between pilasters that rise from the base to the entablature. A doorway leading to the floor above is located at the southwest corner. An inside vestibule marks the ground floor access from Sainte-Catherine Street. The customer is flanked on the right by a door to the manager’s office and on the left by a door leading to a room reserved for women. Continuous wood counters decorated the public banking room and the vault was located at the rear of the room behind the counters. The upper floor was divided into offices. Today, the building, somewhat altered, is used as an antique store.

Holdings: Bank (basement, 2 floors); stone; wall bearing
48 Drawings: 39 ink on linen; 3 ink on paper; 6 blueprints
2 Measured drawings: mitoyen walls
8 Working drawings: floor plans, elevations, section
37 Detail drawings: ceiling plan, elevations, sections, banking room, vestibule, washrooms, entries, staircases, mantelpiece, window screens, skylights, doors, tellers' cages, partitions, fittings, wainscotting, finishes, light fixture, marblework, ornamentation, crest and inscription
1 Consultant drawing: structure
6 Photographs: 1 finished exterior; 5 finished interiors
Comment: 1 drawing signed W.J.G., dated 11/1903, is included.

Comments: 1 drawing signed W.J.G., dated 11/1903, is included.