New York Life Insurance Building (Montreal) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New York Life Insurance Building |
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| General information | |
| Type | Office building |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Location | 511 Place D'Armes Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 9 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Babb, Cook and Willard, New York (and Peter Lyall) |
The New York Life Insurance Building is a cool old office building in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada. People also call it the Quebec Bank Building. It was built between 1887 and 1889. When it was finished, it was the tallest business building in Montreal!
The first eight floors were for offices. Many important lawyers and money experts worked there. The top floors, nine and ten, even had a huge law library for the people working in the building. It's right next to another famous building, the Aldred Building.
Contents
Building History: A Look Back
The New York Life Insurance Building was built for the New York Life Insurance Company. It was their main office in Canada. Architects Babb, Cook and Willard designed it, and Peter Lyall was the builder. The whole project cost about $750,000.
The red stone used to build it came all the way from Scotland! This was special because most buildings in Montreal used local grey stone. The company chose this spot on Place D’Armes because it was close to Montreal's busy business area.
Who Owned the Building?
In 1909, the Quebec Bank bought the building. They used the ground floor for their bank. Later, in 1917, the Quebec Bank joined with the Royal Bank of Canada. You can still see the Quebec Bank's name carved above the entrance today.
The building has had many owners over the years. It was also known as the Bank of Quebec building and the Montreal Trust building. However, most people still call it by its first name. Akelius Montreal Ltd. bought the building on January 31, 2020, and they own it now.
Nearby Famous Places
The New York Life Insurance Building is in a busy part of Montreal. It's close to the Place-d'Armes Metro station. You can also find other important landmarks nearby. These include the Aldred Building, the Bank of Montreal Building, and the beautiful Notre-Dame Basilica.
Building Design: What Makes it Special?
The design of the New York Life Building was inspired by old Italian buildings. It also looked like some buildings in New York City. It was one of the first big buildings in Montreal to use imported red sandstone instead of local grey stone.
The building has a mix of old and new building styles. It uses strong iron beams and columns inside. But it also has thick brick walls to help support the structure. Henry Beaumont carved many of the fancy decorations outside. These include detailed designs around the entrance and on the columns.
Inside the Building
The building has eight floors and stands about 46.3 meters (152 feet) tall, including its clock tower. The inside has a small entrance area and hallways covered in marble. The ceilings have decorative plaster that looks like old Renaissance art. The staircase has fancy iron railings with a smooth wooden handrail.
The building is on a corner, so it has a front on Place D’Armes and another side on rue Saint-Jacques. Its address used to be 13 Place d’Armes Hills, but now it's 511 Place D’Armes.
Changes Over Time
The building has been updated many times. In 1952, some floors were modernized. The basement was renovated in 1970. In 1971, stairs were added between the fifth floor and the roof. More renovations happened in the 1980s.
A big restoration project took place in 2006-2007. During this time, two new homes (penthouses) were added to the roof. One of these is where the current owner of the building lives!
See also
In Spanish: New York Life Insurance Building para niños
