CROWN TRUST BUILDING

Firm: J. A. Cawston and Associates

Address: 407 8 Avenue SW

Date of final plans: 1965

Status: standing as built

The Crown Trust Building is a rather sad work, as it was the last building Jack Cawston designed before his untimely death on 21 November 1966. The contrast between this work and Cawston's first office building in Calgary, the Barron Building (1949), shows how much his work changed over the course of his career.

The building was a joint project between the Crown Trust Company and the Home Oil Company. Crown Trust occupied the first floor, while the remainder of the structure was rented. The building sits on a 130' deep and 100' wide lot, while the tower section is 80' wide. Standing at 10 storeys, it is clad in Manitoba Tyndall Stone. After Cawston died, the successor firm Diamond-Clarke and Associates took over the project.

On 19 June 1967 the building was officially opened by Crown Trust President and Chairman of the Board, John A. McDougald. Today the Crown Trust looks almost entirely original, although it's now called the HSBC Building.