First Canadian Centre Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids First Canadian Centre
First Canadian Centre
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Office
Address	350 7 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3N9
Coordinates	51°02′49″N 114°04′12″W / 51.04694°N 114.07000°W / 51.04694; -114.07000
Completed	1982
Height
Roof	166.7 m (547 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	41
Floor area	48,275 m² (519,630 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Bregman + Hamann Architects
Main contractor	PCL Construction Management Inc.

The First Canadian Centre is a tall office building. You can find it in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

It is located at 350 7 Avenue SW in the city's downtown area. The building stands about 167 meters (548 feet) tall. That's as tall as 41 floors! It has a total floor area of 48,275 square meters. This building was finished in 1982. It was built in a style called "International" and "late Modernist" architecture.

The Bank of Montreal has a large branch on the ground floor.

History of the First Canadian Centre
Gallery
See also

History of the First Canadian Centre

The First Canadian Centre was designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects. When it was finished in 1982, it became the tallest building in Calgary. It was even taller than the Scotia Centre.

Plans for a Second Tower

Originally, there were plans to build two towers. The First Canadian Centre was supposed to be the first one. The second tower was planned to be much taller, with 64 floors!

However, the economy in Calgary slowed down around that time. Because of this, the plans for the second tower were put on hold.

The Foundation of the Second Tower

Even though the second tower was never built, its foundation was started in 1981. This foundation is at the corner of Seventh Avenue SW and Second Street SW.

Pouring the concrete for this foundation was a huge job. Ten thousand cubic meters of concrete were poured in just 26 hours! This was the largest continuous concrete pour in North America at that time. Police even stopped traffic to allow the concrete trucks to work non-stop.

Today, this large foundation and parking levels are covered by a park. People still hope that the second tower might be built in the future.

Why the Second Tower Wasn't Built

A company called Dome Petroleum was going to move into the second tower. They even nicknamed it "The Dome Tower." But changes in the oil and gas industry in the early 1980s affected Dome Petroleum's profits. This caused them to pull out of the project. This likely led to the second tower not being built.

Building Materials

The First Canadian Centre is covered in white-grey marble slabs. This marble was brought all the way from a quarry in Italy. The second tower was also planned to be covered in the same marble.