Barron Building facts for kids

The Barron Building is a tall, eleven-story office building located at 610 8th Avenue Southwest in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was designed by architect Jack Cawston and built between 1949 and 1951. This building is a great example of the Art Moderne style of architecture in Canada. In 2003, it was even recognized as an important building by the Alberta Association of Architects.

History of the Barron Building

Why the Building Was Needed

After oil was discovered nearby in Leduc No. 1 on February 13, 1947, Calgary quickly became a major center for oil companies. Many oil businesses wanted to open offices in the city. A Calgary businessman and lawyer named Jacob Bell Barron (1888-1965) saw this need for office space. He decided to build a modern office tower.

Who Designed and Built It

Jacob Barron hired a local architect named Jack Cawston (1911-1967) from the firm Cawston and Stevenson. At that time, modern building styles were not common in Calgary. Most buildings were in older styles. The Barron Building cost $1.25 million to build. It was constructed by Larwill and Stevenson Construction Company and opened in 1951. Some of the first companies to rent offices there were Sun and Halliburton oil companies. From 1955 to 1969, the building was known as the Mobil Oil Building.

What the Building Looks Like

The Barron Building has a unique design. The first three floors contain the Uptown Theatre, which also has a mezzanine level (a floor between two main floors). Above the theatre are seven floors of office space. On the very top of the building is a penthouse, which was where Jacob Barron lived. This penthouse was made larger in the late 1950s to cover almost the entire roof.

The building is mostly covered in light brown brick. The middle section and the second and third floors are covered in a special type of stone called Tyndall limestone. The ground floor is made of shiny black marble. The building also has "ribbon windows," which are long, narrow windows that wrap around the building. This design was made popular by a famous architect named Le Corbusier.

Future of the Barron Building

Changes Over Time

In 2007, a real estate company called Strategic Group bought the building. Over the years, the building became less used. The last tenant, the Uptown Theatre, left the building in November 2011.

Efforts to Protect It

In June 2012, the Barron Building was put on the "Top Ten Endangered Places List" by the Heritage Canada Foundation. This list highlights important buildings that are at risk. In April 2014, the Alberta Culture department tried to declare the building a provincial historic resource. This would have protected the outside of the building from being changed. However, the owner protested, and the province decided not to protect it in July 2014. This meant the owner could plan new changes.

Redevelopment Plans

In September 2015, Strategic Group planned to start redeveloping the building. These plans included adding a new glass tower on the east side of the building. The Uptown Theatre was planned to be removed and turned into retail stores. The old sign (marquee) of the theatre was also going to be taken down.