TANKOOS YARMON BUILDING

Firm: J. Stevenson and Associates

Address: 924 8 Avenue SW

Date of final plans: 1955

The building was announced on 28 November 1955 in the Herald. It was to cost $2.5 million, and was to be the first part of a $7 million investment in Calgary by the Toronto real estate company Tankoos Yarmon. This company had been founded in Toronto in 1955 by Elliot N. Yarmon (1919–2015) and Samuel Joseph Tankoos (1921–1976), both of whom were native New Yorkers.

The ten-storey tower was designed by J. Stevenson and Associates and located at 924 8 Avenue SW. It was identical in concept to Stevenson's Medical Centre Building and Royal Trust Building, which also featured cores that were offset and set back from the main office block.

Interior design was to be completed by the New York firm Michael Saphier Inc., which is perpetuated today by ENV. In 1968, Saphier wrote an interesting book called Office Planning and Design, which I recommend highly. The illustrations provide an excellent example of how to design a mid-century office.

In April and May 1956, Tankoos Yarmon ran four advertisements in the Herald claiming the building would be ready for occupancy in Summer 1957. The last of these advertisement was on 24 May and I can’t find any further mention of the project. It would be interesting to know why it was called off. I’ve looked for the plans in the Stevenson fonds at the Canadian Architectural Archives but haven’t had any luck. Based on the drawing that appears in the paper, the building was quite impressive.