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Edmonton's Modern movement blossomed following the Second World War and the discovery of oil in Leduc in 1947, which spurred a widespread building boom that subsequently shaped much of the city. The buildings produced during this era — futuristic and without classical ornamentation — are often deemed unworthy of heritage protection. At the time, the public reception wasn't always more favourable. Buildings like the Legislature Annex, then the AGT Building, ignited debate in the architectural community and beyond. But their continued presence in Edmonton serve as reminders of the audacious spirit that generated an era of risk-taking and progressiveness.
In 1951, Alberta Government Telephones appointed H.W.R. MacMillan of Rule Wynn and Rule to design the company's new headquarters steps away from the Beaux-Arts Provincial Legislature. Their vision was markedly different from the grandeur and elegance expressed by the 1913-built landmark. The postwar shortage in steel would force the builders to utilize concrete pilings rather than structural steel for the first time in Alberta. Covering its concrete frame was an exterior wall of green Aklo glass, lodged between plate glass windows manufactured by Pilkington Bros. Shapes & Glass. At its completion in 1953, the AGT Building became the first curtain wall building in Edmonton and one of the only ones in the province. The simple boxy design of the tower, which employed coloured spandrel glass, sunscreens, and a strong emphasis on horizontal definition, were key elements of the Modern ethos.
An addition five years after completion doubled the size of the building, bringing it to its current 14-storey height. The visibility of the tower, combined with its embrace of a relatively new style of architecture, caused some purists to decry its unapologetically avant-garde appearance. While a few commentators suggested the building sport Tyndall and sandstone cladding to ensure consistency with the Alberta Legislature, the structure would have then been an exercise in architectural deception. Irrefutably, the building captures the simplistic yet innovative characteristics that defined the mid-century's growing cityscape.
With the privatization of AGT in 1991, the building was used as an office tower by the province, mainly housing opposition MLAs and government backbenchers. The Federal Building then became their domain, with the annex then occupied by forestry staff.
Despite its superlatives and association with the Modern movement, the building's future is in serious doubt. Plans to demolish the structure and redevelop the Legislature grounds have been bounced around for years. In 2016, the province authorized a feasibility study to explore potential uses of the property, without ruling out proposals to raze the structure. The conversation highlights the difficulty facing Modernist buildings across Canada, where municipalities frequently measure heritage by age rather than merit.
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