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Common Name
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Château Laurier
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Municipal Address
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1 Rideau Street
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| Photos: | 
Chateau Laurier Facade. © Melissa Davies 2014
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Building Demolished
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No
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Postal Code
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K1N8S7
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Neighbourhood
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Downtown Ottawa
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Local Municipality
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Ottawa
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Province
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Ontario
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Construction Date
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1909-1912
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Type of Recognition
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Municipal Register, National Historic Site
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Building Historic Use
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Commerce/Commercial Services Hotel, Motel or Inn
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Building Current Use
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Commerce/Commercial Services Hotel, Motel or Inn
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Photos:
(Click on the image to view at full size) |  Chateau Laurier from Peace Tower. © Melissa Davies 2014 An aerial view of the Chateau Laurier from the top of the Peace Tower. |
Photos:
(Click on the image to view at full size) |  Chateau Laurier Detail. © Melissa Davies 2014 |
Photos:
(Click on the image to view at full size) |  Chateau Laurier Turret. © Melissa Davies 2014 |
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Architect
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Bradford Lee Gilbert
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Photos:
(Click on the image to view at full size) |  Chateau Laurier Plaque in Peace Tower At the top of the Peace Tower, a plaque reads: "The Chateau Laurier opened its doors in 1912 and was considered by many to be the grandest hotel in the city. It was built in the manner of the French "chateau" (castle) by the Grand Trunk Railway Co. The hotel has many ties to Parliament, including serving as official residence to Prime Minister R.B. Bennett during the 1930s." |
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Date Designated
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1981/01/15
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Description of Property
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-20th-
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Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest
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- it is a Château-style hotel, which is of national significance as an architectural type.
The Château Laurier, built between 1908 and 1912, was the first in a series of hotels constructed by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company (GTPR) to encourage tourists to travel its transcontinental routes. From Québec to Victoria, these Château-style hotels can be found near the railway stations in their urban environment, often in a dramatic location. The Château-
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Character-Defining Elements
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- its romantic setting atop the banks of the Ottawa River and overlooking the Rideau Canal;
- its proximity to Parliament Hill and to other federal government buildings in the Ottawa downtown core;
- its irregular L-shaped plan;
- its elements which typify Château-style railway hotels, including its massive scale, irregular silhouette, steeply-pitched copper roofs, ornate gables and dormers, towers and turrets, high-quality materials, and dramatic setting;
- the smooth finish and pale tone of the exterior Indiana limestone walls, contrasting sharply with the ornate detailing above the eave-line;
- its symmetrical front façade, defined by two octagonal pavilions, vertically accented by a strip of oriel windows;
- its picturesque silhouette, created by a broad range of medieval detail, including turrets, machicolations, and finialed and crocketed gables;
- its whimsical and delicate corner tower, inset deep into the wall;
- its arcaded entrance loggia;
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Sources
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http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=14549
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Last updated
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2014-02-10 14:41:30.566
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