CANADIAN WESTERN NATURAL GAS BUILDING

Firm: Stevenson Cawston and Dewar

Address: 140 6 Avenue SW

Date of final plans: September 1950

Status: demolished circa 1983

The Canadian Western Natural Gas Company was founded in Calgary in 1911 by Eugene Coste. In 1950 the company commissioned Stevenson Cawston and Dewar to design it a new head office building. The property on which the building was constructed was located at the north-east corner of 6th Avenue S and 1st Street W, across the avenue from the Lougheed Building. The building's footprint was roughly 141' by 80'. Stevenson designed a two-storey building with provisions for a four storey addition. Stylistically, the building was done in lite art deco that featured ribbon windows as well as glass block lighting of the stairwells. The first storey was clad in black granite while the upper floors were in Tyndall Stone.

The first two storeys were built as designed. In 1956 the company added six floors to the building. However, rather build the new floors in the original design, the addition was done in the international style, turning the building into a glass and steel block. The result was a horrificly ugly mash up of two styles, reminiscent of a black tuxedo with brown shoes.

The model I've built is of the original design with the planned six storeys. Of course, the building never actually appeared this way.