Global style with a Canadian touch

Canada has many architectural feats to its credit.

Canada has produced some of the world's most beautiful and diverse architecture. Canadians and their ancestors have devised varied and often creative architecture in response to some of the most daunting climatic conditions on earth.

"Obviously, because of our climate we have had to make some modifications, such as dealing with the freezing and thawing of the building material, as we progress through four very different seasons, making sure our structures can support the full load of winter snow," says Jerry Sorbara, CET, Activated Decor Inc.

The key characteristics of Canadian architecture include the use of building technology to ensure individual comfort, openness to styles and building ideas borrowed from other cultures around the world.

"When it comes to building, I believe Canada's style has been influenced mostly by European immigrants who came over. They brought with them not only the building styles but their various building trades as well," says Sorbara.

From early European settlements of the 1600s until the late 19th century, Canadian architecture reflected the building styles fashionable in France and Great Britain. The Gothic revival can be seen in St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto, which was built between 1845 and 1848. It was one of the first buildings to feature the Victorian arch.

The Victorian arch dominated many buildings from the mid-19th century until the First World War. Other revival styles included the Romanesque revival. A clear example is the British Columbia Legislature and old Toronto City Hall.

Neoclassicism was a popular design with banks and train stations, Toronto's Union Station being an example.

"Canada's style can be described as form driven by function and efficiency, with style reflected through sympathy to context and purpose," says Patrick Rodmell, President and CEO of Watt International Inc, a global brand and strategy and design consultancy. "The harsh climatic conditions (cold and hot/humid) drive architectural foundations. Canada is a melting pot of cultures, so style trends originate from the interpretation of global ideas from a local Canadian context."

After World War II, Canada wanted a style and structure that was unique. As a result, the Chateau style, also known as the railway gothic, was born. It first appeared in the late 19th century Chateau Frontenac and Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta. The design has a distinct mix of French and English styles.

In the 20th century American architecture had been the dominant outside influence on Canadian architecture.

The Dominion Centre in Toronto is well-known as one of the early glass panelled office towers, and was later imitated around the world.

"Canada has a style of its own, the integration of various building elements, glass, steel, concrete and so forth," says Rodmell.

In 1989 Toronto's Sky Dome, now known as Rogers Centre, was completed. The construction cost C$570 million (about Dh2.015 billion). It was the first building to have a fully retractable motorised roof. It has a baseball stadium with 348 hotel rooms attached to it, with 70 rooms overlooking the field. The Montreal Olympic Stadium was the first one designed to have a retracting roof, but it didn't work and was seen as a total disaster by many.

"The constant battle between efficiency and artistic statement is where problems can start. In general, architects and developers need to be responsible to the fact that the structures they create will be icons for decades (if not centuries). Passion and investment in style and expression should be considered within this context," says Rodmell.

West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, is the largest shopping mall in North America. It is the fourth largest in the world costing $1.2 billion (about Dh4.24 billion) to build, with more than 800 stores and 20,000 parking spaces. It opened in 1981 and has since been expanded three times. The mall comprises Galaxy Land, which is the world's largest indoor theme park, and World Water Park, which boasts the world's largest indoor wave pool. It also has the Ice Palace, which has an impressive NHL-size ice rink. The mall also has Professor WEMS Adventure Golf, an 18-hole mini golf entertainment area. There is the Deep Sea Adventure park and an entertainment complex that includes a bowling alley, a pool hall and three cinemas.

"West Edmonton and the Sky Dome are impressive. But I think, by far, Canada's greatest architectural feat has to be the CN Tower located in Toronto, Ontario, 45 minutes from our office. The tower is the world's tallest free-standing structure, not to be confused with a building. It stands 553 metres tall (1,815 ft). The CN Tower has a glass floor observation deck with a restaurant that rotates 360 degrees. It receives two million visitors a year," says Sorbara.

The CN Tower has stood as the tallest freestanding structure built by man for more than 30 years. It is the dominant architectural icon of the city of Toronto, and Canada overall, says Rodmell.