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 in Montreal is a historic office building. It is also known as the Quebec Bank Building. This tall building stands in Old Montreal at Place d'Armes. It was built between 1887 and 1889. When it was finished, it was the tallest business building in Montreal. The first eight floors were used for offices. Many important lawyers and bankers quickly moved in. The building also has a clock tower. The owner made the ninth and tenth floors into a huge legal library. This was a gift for the people who rented offices there. The building is right next to another old office tower, the Aldred Building.
History of the Building
The New York Life Insurance Building was built for the New York Life Insurance Company. They wanted it to be their main office in Canada. The architects were Babb, Cook and Willard, and Peter Lyall was the builder. The whole project cost about $750,000.
The building is made of special red sandstone. This stone was brought all the way from Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
New York Life chose the spot on Place D’Armes because it was close to Montreal's busy business area. Before building started, two older buildings were taken down. The new building first appeared on a city map in 1890.
The Quebec Bank bought the building in 1909. They used the ground floor for their bank. Later, in 1917, the bank became part of the Royal Bank of Canada. You can still see the bank's name carved above the entrance.
The building is easy to reach by public transport, near the Place-d'Armes Metro station. It is also close to other famous Montreal spots. These include the Aldred Building (built in 1931) and the Bank of Montreal Building. The Place d'Armes Hotel, Notre-Dame Basilica, and 500 Place D'Armes are also nearby.
Building Design
The New York Life Building's design was inspired by buildings in Italy and New York. It was one of the first big buildings in Montreal not to use local grey stone. Instead, it used the imported red sandstone. This stone had to be cut at Peter Lyall's workshop.
The building has a mix of old and new building styles. It uses iron beams and columns for support. But it also has strong brick walls that help hold it up. Steel was used for the floors and roof. Henry Beaumont carved many of the fancy designs on the outside. These include patterns around the entrance and on the columns. The beautiful iron gate was made by E. Chanteloup in Montreal.
The building has eight floors and a clock tower. It is about 46.3 meters (152 feet) tall. It has a mostly rectangular shape. The total floor space inside is about 6,890 square meters (74,160 square feet). The small entrance area and hallways inside have marble walls. The ceilings have decorative plaster, like old Italian designs. The staircase has a fancy iron railing with a wooden top.
The office building is on a corner. It has a front facing Place D’Armes and another side facing rue Saint-Jacques. Its first address was 13 Place d’Armes Hills. Now, it is known as 511 Place D’Armes.
The building has been updated many times over the years. In 1952, some floors were made more modern. The basement was renovated in 1970. In 1971, stairs were added to the roof. More changes happened in the 1980s. A big restoration project took place in 2006-2007. During this time, two apartments were added on the roof. One of these is where the current owner lives.
Who Owned It
The building was first called the New York Life Building. But in 1909, the Quebec Bank moved in. So, it was also known as the Bank of Quebec building. For a while, it was even called the Montreal Trust building. However, people still often call it by its original name.
The building has had many different owners and important tenants. Some of these include the Montreal Real Trust Company and the National Bank of Canada. The Société de Fiducie du Quebec owned the building for six years. They sold it to Les immeubles Bona Ltée, who made many improvements.
Akelius Montreal Ltd. bought the building on January 31, 2020. They are the current owners.
See also
In Spanish: New York Life Insurance Building para niños
