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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our Architrivia.
Edmonton's rampant development from a small Prairie town to the capital of Alberta and one of the largest cities in Canada historically meant that there wasn't proper recognition of the city's heritage attributes. Many of the city's brick and terra cotta buildings were replaced by more monolithic entities of glass and metal. Remarkably, what's described as Edmonton's first skyscraper managed to survive the building booms that pushed the city vertically, though it hasn't been left completely untouched. Rather, the McLeod Building on 100 Street just north of Jasper Avenue has transitioned from a stately office building into a high-end condominium.
The century-old structure bears the name of Kenneth McLeod, a former carpenter, contractor, and real estate speculator who also served as an alderman. A testament to the industriousness of the times, McLeod, a native of Winnipeg, made the move to Edmonton in 1881 by foot, a 91-day journey.
Quickly gaining experience as a leading city-builder, he constructed Edmonton's Fire Hall #1 in 1893. His most significant work came in 1915 with the completion of a nine-storey steel-framed building. Covered in masonry cladding, McLeod claimed in 1912 that the structure would be the tallest building in the city. At 35 metres, it was indeed taller than the Tegler Building, which has since been demolished, but it fell short of the 57-metre Alberta Legislature Building, which was completed in 1913. Though it was never the tallest building in the city, it has largely been attributed as Edmonton's first skyscraper.
The structure has a twin of sorts in Spokane's Paulsen Building, which architect John K. Dow modelled it after. Its relative restraint in ornamentation combined with its evenly spaced windows have led the McLeod Building to be considered the best remaining example of the Chicago School style of architecture. The H.V. Shaw Building is another surviving instance of the style.
The McLeod Building was converted into condominiums as businesses began demanding larger and more flexible floor plates. The historic building was designated a Provincial Historic Resource on January 3, 1995, and a Municipal Historic Resource on May 22, 2001. While its visual prominence has been overshadowed by its taller and contemporary neighbours, the building strives to remind Edmontonians of the monumental impact skyscrapers have on the urban fabric of the city.
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