Royal Bank Tower (Montreal) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Royal Bank Tower
Alternative names	Tour de la Banque Royale
General information
Type	Office
Location	360 Saint-Jacques Street Montreal, Quebec
Coordinates	45°30′07″N 73°33′34″W / 45.5019°N 73.5594°W / 45.5019; -73.5594
Construction started	1927
Completed	1928
Height
Roof	121 m (397 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	22
Floor area	344,400 sq ft (32,000 m2)
Lifts/elevators	8
Design and construction
Architect	York, Sawyer of New York and Sumner Godfrey Davenport of Montreal (as Chief Architect for the Royal Bank)

The Royal Bank Tower is a very tall building, also known as a skyscraper, located at 360 Saint-Jacques Street in Montreal, Quebec. This impressive 22-storey building stands 121 m (397 ft) high. It was designed in a style called neo-classical, which means it looks like old Greek and Roman buildings.

The architects who designed it were from the firm of York and Sawyer. They worked with Sumner Godfrey Davenport, who was the Royal Bank's main architect in Montreal. When it was finished in 1928, the Royal Bank Tower was the tallest building in the entire British Empire. It was also the tallest structure in all of Canada. Plus, it was the first building in Montreal that was taller than the famous Notre-Dame Basilica, which was built almost a century before.

A New Home for the Royal Bank

The Royal Bank of Canada needed a bigger main office. Their first official head office was in Halifax in 1879. In 1907, the bank moved its main office from Halifax to Montreal.

The building they were using on Saint-Jacques Street became too small. So, in 1926, the leaders of the Royal Bank decided to build a brand new, very grand building. They hired the architects York and Sawyer from New York to design it.

Making Space for a Giant

To make room for this huge new building, the bank bought a lot of land. They bought all the property between Saint-Jacques, Saint-Pierre, Notre-Dame, and Dollard Streets. Then, they had to tear down all the old buildings there. This included the old Mechanics' Institute and a ten-storey building that belonged to the Bank of Ottawa. All this was done to create space for the new 22-storey Royal Bank Tower.

Moving On

In 1962, the Royal Bank moved its main office again. This time, they moved to another famous Montreal building called Place Ville-Marie. However, the bank kept a branch office in the beautiful main hall of the old Royal Bank Tower. This branch was located in the historic area known as Old Montreal.

That branch stayed there for many years. But in July 2012, it moved one last time to a nearby building called the Tour de la Bourse.