Elveden Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elveden Centre |
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Elveden Centre
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| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Calgary Canada |
| Coordinates | 51°02′49″N 114°04′46″W / 51.04694°N 114.07944°W |
| Construction started | 1959 |
| Completed | 1960 (Elveden House) 1961 (BAO Building) 1964 (Guinness House) |
| Cost | $14,500,000 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 20 |
| Floor area | 41,603 m2 (447,810 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Rule, Wynn, Rule |
| Main contractor | Commonwealth Construction |
The Elveden Centre is a large office building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is actually made up of three tall towers. This building is a great example of a special kind of architecture called the International Style. It was built between 1959 and 1964.
Contents
Discovering the Elveden Centre's History
How Calgary Grew with Oil
After oil was found near Leduc in 1947, Calgary grew very quickly. Many oil companies moved to the city. This led to a building boom in downtown Calgary. New office buildings were needed to house all these companies.
Who Built the Elveden Centre?
The Elveden Centre was ordered by a company called British Pacific Building. This company was owned by the Guinness family. They were famous for their business interests. The family also owned other companies in Calgary at that time.
The architectural firm Rule Wynn and Rule designed the building. Commonwealth Construction Company built it. Steel for the building came from the Dominion Bridge Company. The city even had to change a rule about building height. This allowed the Elveden Centre to be taller than twelve stories.
The Three Towers of Elveden
The Elveden Centre was built in three parts. Each part is a tower.
Elveden House: The First Tower
The first and middle tower is called Elveden House. It was built between 1959 and 1960. This tower is named after the Guinness family's estate in England. The estate is in Suffolk.
Iveagh House: The Second Tower
The second tower, on the east side, is Iveagh House. It was built from 1960 to 1962. This tower is named after a title held by a member of the Guinness family, the Earl of Iveagh.
Guinness House: The Third Tower
The third tower, on the west side, is Guinness House. It was built between 1962 and 1964. This tower is named directly after the famous Guinness family.
Size and Importance
The whole Elveden Centre has a lot of office space. It has 447,814 sq ft (41,603.3 m2) of space in total. The main tower alone has 172,081 sq ft (15,986.8 m2) of office space. In 2005, Elveden House was recognized as a very important historic site in Calgary.
