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30 Days of Photos - #2 - Architecture

Welcome to 30 Days of Photos, where 16 bloggers are participating in posting a photo a day for 30 days. Here are the other 15 you can visit after you've been here:




This edifice was constructed in 1890 on Ottawa's Elgin Street, within walking distance of Parliament Hill.

It's called the Central Chambers Building and is a Canadian national historic site because it's an  example of the Queen Anne Revival Style of architecture. It was the first Ottawa building with an electrical elevator.

The building originally housed the offices of the Canadian Atlantic Railway and the Ottawa and Gatineau Valley Railway. Now it is home to the National Capital Commission.

Comments

I'm not familier with the style (I'm hardly familier with any style) but it is a beautiful building and reminds me of some architecture in London though I couldn't name it!
Nicky said…
Gorgeous shot, Dufus. I did not know that it was the first building in Ottawa with an electric elevator. Or maybe I did. The last time I saw that building was on a school trip... um... more than 30 *gulp* years ago!
Cheryl P. said…
Very cool picture. I love old buildings. Such character compared to the non-descript blah boxes being built today.
nonamedufus said…
Keep in mind it's an example of Queen Anne not Princess Anne. If it were the latter I'd have taken a photo of stables.
nonamedufus said…
It's really an amazing edifice. The interior has been modernized of course but the exterior has been maintained true to it's original design. I'm damned, though, why they called it the Central "Chambers" building. Makes it sound like a building for lawyers and apparently it never was.
Ziva said…
Huh, we definitely don't have buildings like that in Finland... Great choice for the theme, dufus.
nonamedufus said…
You're exactly right Miss P. The old buildings have something the new ones never get...character.
nonamedufus said…
Maybe not, Ziva, but you've obviously got some great looking churches. I'm glad you liked this.
laughing mom said…
That is a cool building - I like the repetition of the window styles. Is it like that on 4 sides?
Unfinished Person said…
Hey, at least, it's not a church. :)

I like how you explain the architecture too. I thought about doing that with mine, but couldn't find a link to the church website.
nonamedufus said…
The building is actually on a corner and the back side is hidden. The attached picture gives you a better view.
nonamedufus said…
Google's a wonderful thing. The hardest part was remembering the name of the building so I could look it up. I'm old, you know.
Nora Blithe said…
Cool building. I'm glad you posted that.
Mike said…
Someone clearly had a fetish for bay windows. Love unique buildings like these. Great shot, Dufe.
nonamedufus said…
Thanks, Nora. I really think it's neat. Glad you liked it.
nonamedufus said…
Likely Queen Anne, don't ya think? I love stuff like this too. Thanks, Mike.
Linda Medrano said…
Great shot of a really impressive building! I would like to see that. Maybe I'll come for a visit.
Mikewj said…
What an awesome governmental building, NoName! I think this is the one we Americans ought to burn down in retribution for what you Canadians did to our capital in 1814. We haven't forgotten.
Liz A. said…
Oooh...pretty. I like the colors. There may be some photographer term for that, but I have no clue what it might be.

I have no idea what a National Capitol Commission does, but it sounds important.
Mikewj said…
Yeah, you helped build this thing, didn't you, NoName?
MalisaHargrove said…
That's a nice photo of a beautiful building! What? You have 5 story buildings in Canada? Most of our shanties here in East Texas are more like half a story. Can I come visit? I have never been to Canada and have always wanted too! During the Bush presidency, I was trying to MOVE to Canada!
nonamedufus said…
I'm not THAT old. Looks can be deceiving, I guess.
nonamedufus said…
My door's always open. And my windows, too.
nonamedufus said…
Yah, yah, yah. Jeezus you Americans have a long memory. Did you know our government was spending $12 million to commemorate our victory!!?? That's about $12 million more than it cost to wage the bloody war in the first place.
nonamedufus said…
I think the photographer term is "blue". Ottawa in Ontario and Gatineau in Quebec on each side of the Ottawa River comprise the capital region, sort of like Washington DC. The NCC manages land, buildings, parks and the canal owned by the government in the region.
nonamedufus said…
Thank you, ma'am. Glad you liked it.
nonamedufus said…
We'll take you any time Malisa. In Ottawa there's zoning controls to prevent downtown buildings from being taller that Parliament Hill's Peace Tower. I used to work in the tallest building in the region, the 30 story Terrasses de la Chaudiere across the river in Quebec.
Cheryl said…
There's a place called the Rockingham here in town. It's historic as hell. The style reminds me of this. Just love these older brick buildings.
nonamedufus said…
They really give a city character, don't they. It's so sad when they tear many of them down instead of renovate them.
00dozo said…
The only thing good about Ottawa is it's architecture. That building is most impressive, but I pity the poor window cleaners.

Nice job!

;-)
nonamedufus said…
Oh there's much more that's good about Ottawa, 00dozo. For instance there's currently a big sale on Windex at Wal-Mart.

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