| I M A G E S: Drawings | |
New Departmental and Courts Buildings([1913]) Ottawa, ON, Canada Government, Court house [2 departmental buildings: 5 floors; 1 courts building]; brick; composite Client: Government of the Dominion of Canada Description: In 1913, the Maxwell brothers submitted a proposal for the contest for the New Departmental and Courts Buildings in Ottawa. Their project was commented upon favourably by the most eminent critics of the jury. It was an excellent adaptation of Gothic to modern conditions and the proposal harmonised well with the dignified old Parliament Hill. Although they won the competition, the project was set aside by the Department of Public Works and declared to be unsuitable by the Honourable Mr. Pugsley.
The Departmental Building, along with the Justice Building, was positioned on a large site near the existing Parliament Building. It was planned as a practical example of a monumental office building, embodying all the best features of a modern commercial structure of its time. The park elevation showed a four-storey high building, while the Sussex Street elevation accommodated six levels. The elevations show a free and individual treatment, which permitted the lighting of rooms and offices in a manner equal to the best traditions of functional architecture. The vertical composition, emphasised by the impressive clock tower and the window details, harmonised with the existing structures. The grounds were skilfully designed according to a natural integration with the landscape.
The groups of buildings designed by the Maxwell brothers, including the Justice Building, were an impressive composition from any point of view, rich without ostentation or undue ornamentation, with simple masses and a logical layout. Holdings: Court house (2 departmental buildings: 5 floors; 1 courts building); brick; composite | |
| I M A G E S: Drawings | |
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