Ross and Macdonald
Encyclopedia
Ross and Macdonald was one of Canada
's most notable architecture
firms in the early 20th century. Based in Montreal
, Quebec
, the firm originally operated as a partnership between George Allen Ross and David MacFarlane ("Ross and MacFarlane") from 1907 to 1912. MacFarlane retired in 1913, and Robert Henry Macdonald became a partner. The Ross and Macdonald name was used until 1944.
in Cambridge
, Massachusetts
, and at the École des Beaux-Arts
in Paris
.
Ross was apprenticed to Brown, MacVicar & Heriot in Montreal, and later become a draftsman for the Grand Trunk Railway
. He also did work with Parker & Thomas in Boston
and Carrere & Hastings in New York
before partnering with MacFarlane in Montreal.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He was also a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, becoming an Associate in 1904 and a Fellow in 1913.
, Australia
. He articled to Richard B. Whitaker, M.S.A. of Melbourne, and became a junior draftsman to Robert Findlay in Montreal in 1895. After positions as a draftsman for George B. Post starting in 1903, a senior draftsman with Crighton & McKay in Wellington
, New Zealand
in 1905, and head draftsman with W.W. Bosworth in New York in 1906, Macdonald joined Ross and MacFarlane in Montreal as a junior partner and draftsman in 1907. He ultimately became a partner of the firm in 1912.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He served as president of the Quebec Association of Architects in 1939, and was a recipient of the association's Award of Merit.
Hotels:
Public Buildings:
Office Buildings:
Residential
Other:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's most notable architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
firms in the early 20th century. Based in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, the firm originally operated as a partnership between George Allen Ross and David MacFarlane ("Ross and MacFarlane") from 1907 to 1912. MacFarlane retired in 1913, and Robert Henry Macdonald became a partner. The Ross and Macdonald name was used until 1944.
George Allen Ross
Ross (1879–1946) was born in Montreal, and later studied at the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and at the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Ross was apprenticed to Brown, MacVicar & Heriot in Montreal, and later become a draftsman for the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
. He also did work with Parker & Thomas in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Carrere & Hastings in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
before partnering with MacFarlane in Montreal.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He was also a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, becoming an Associate in 1904 and a Fellow in 1913.
Robert Henry Macdonald
Macdonald (1875–1942) was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He articled to Richard B. Whitaker, M.S.A. of Melbourne, and became a junior draftsman to Robert Findlay in Montreal in 1895. After positions as a draftsman for George B. Post starting in 1903, a senior draftsman with Crighton & McKay in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1905, and head draftsman with W.W. Bosworth in New York in 1906, Macdonald joined Ross and MacFarlane in Montreal as a junior partner and draftsman in 1907. He ultimately became a partner of the firm in 1912.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He served as president of the Quebec Association of Architects in 1939, and was a recipient of the association's Award of Merit.
Important works
Commercial Buildings:- Bank of TorontoBank of TorontoThe Bank of Toronto was a Canadian bank, founded on July 8, 1857 by George Gooderham, that merged with The Dominion Bank on February 1, 1955 to form the Toronto-Dominion Bank...
branch (Guy St. and St. Catherine St. W.), Montreal, 1908 - Complexe Les AilesComplexe Les Ailes (Montreal)Complexe Les Ailes is a retail and office complex on Saint Catherine Street in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Designed by the firm Ross and Macdonald and first constructed between 1925 and 1927, the building served as the Eaton's department store until 1999...
, Montreal, 1925-27 (Former Eaton'sEaton'sThe T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
department store) - Saskatoon Board of Education officesEaton's Building (Saskatoon)The Eaton's Building is a landmark building located in downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Formerly serving as an Eaton's department store, the building is currently occupied by the Saskatoon Board of Education.-History:...
, SaskatoonSaskatoonSaskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, 1928-29 (Former Eaton's department store) - Calgary Eaton's Store, CalgaryCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, 1928-29 (demolished 1988, façade incorporated into Calgary Eaton Centre) - Dominion Square BuildingDominion Square BuildingThe Dominion Square Building, also known as the Gazette Building, is a landmark office building in Downtown Montreal facing Dorchester Square on its northern side...
, Montreal, 1928–1930 - College ParkCollege Park (Toronto)College Park is a shopping mall, residential and office complex located on the southwest corner of Yonge Street and College Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, 1928-30 (Former Eaton's department store)(with SproattHenry SproattHenry Sproatt was a Canadian architect in the early 20th Century.Born in Toronto, he trained in Europe and in New York. He formed a partnership with another celebrated architect, John A. Pearson in 1890 and with Frank Darling in 1893...
and Rolph) - Holt Renfrew Montreal at 1300 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, 1937
Hotels:
- Château LaurierChâteau LaurierThe Fairmont Château Laurier is a landmark hotel in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive designed in the Châteauesque style.-History:...
Hotel, OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, 1909-12 (with Bradford Lee Gilbert) - Lord Elgin HotelLord Elgin HotelThe Lord Elgin Hotel is a prominent hotel in downtown Ottawa, Canada with 355 guest rooms, located at 100 Elgin Street at Laurier Avenue, across from Confederation Park...
, Ottawa, 1940–41 - Royal YorkFairmont Royal YorkThe Fairmont Royal York Hotel, formerly the Royal York Hotel and still often so called, is a large and historic hotel in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at 100 Front Street West. Opened on June 11, 1929, the Royal York was designed by Ross and Macdonald and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway...
Hotel, Toronto, 1927-29 (with Sproatt and Rolph) - Fort Garry Hotel, WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, 1910–14 - Hotel SaskatchewanHotel SaskatchewanThe Hotel Saskatchewan is a grand hotel located in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, overlooking Victoria Park.One of a chain of hotels constructed and owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the railway's earlier hotels, such as the Château Frontenac in Quebec City, the Chateau Lake Louise and...
, ReginaRegina, SaskatchewanRegina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, 1926–27 - Hotel MacdonaldHotel MacdonaldThe Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is a hotel built in 1912 in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway...
, EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, 1912–14 - Les Cours Mont-RoyalLes Cours Mont-RoyalLes Cours Mont-Royal is an upscale shopping centre in Downtown Montreal, Quebec which was converted from the former Mount Royal Hotel. Since 1988, Les Cours Mont-Royal has provided exclusive boutiques offering designer brands and unique fashions and accessories for both men and women in a...
, Montreal, 1920-24 (Former Mount Royal Hotel, now a shopping mall)
Public Buildings:
- Government Conference CentreGovernment Conference CentreThe Government Conference Centre is a government building in downtown Ottawa, Canada, located at 2 Rideau Street. It is situated at the intersection of Wellington Street and the Rideau Canal, just a short distance from the Parliament buildings and Confederation Square, and across the street from...
, Ottawa, (Former Ottawa Union Station), 1911-1912 - Union Station, Toronto (with Hugh G. Jones, John Lyle) 1914-1920
Office Buildings:
- Architects' BuildingArchitects' Building (Montreal)The Architects' Building was an office building located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was located at the southeast corner of Dorchester Boulevard and Beaver Hall Hill in Downtown Montreal....
, Montreal, 1929-34 (demolished) - Confederation Building1253 McGill College Avenue1253 McGill College Avenue is an office building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the corner of McGill College Avenue and Saint Catherine Street West in Downtown Montreal. It was formerly known as the Confederation Building. It is currently owned by Polaris Realty.It is 11 stories...
(McGill College Ave. and St. Catherine St. W.), Montreal, 1927–28 - Castle BuildingCastle BuildingThe Castle Building is an office building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Its address is 1410 Stanley Street on the corner of Saint Catherine Street West in Downtown Montreal. It is owned by Gold Castle Holdings Limited....
(Stanley Street and St. Catherine St. W.), Montreal, 1924–27 - Dominion Square BuildingDominion Square BuildingThe Dominion Square Building, also known as the Gazette Building, is a landmark office building in Downtown Montreal facing Dorchester Square on its northern side...
(Peel Street and St. Catherine St. W.), Montreal, 1928–40 - Montreal Star BuildingMontreal Star BuildingThe Montreal Star Building is a former office complex, now hotel, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The complex, which is located in Old Montreal is composed of three different attached buildings belonging to the Montreal Star newspaper....
(St. Jacques St.), Montreal, 1926–31 - Royal BankRoyal Bank of CanadaThe Royal Bank of Canada or RBC Financial Group is the largest financial institution in Canada, as measured by deposits, revenues, and market capitalization. The bank serves seventeen million clients and has 80,100 employees worldwide. The company corporate headquarters are located in Toronto,...
Building (Yonge Street and King Street East), Toronto, 1913–15 - Édifice PriceEdifice PriceThe Édifice Price is an 18-floor skyscraper in Quebec City, Canada. Built in 1930-1931 amid controversy for Price Brothers ltd., it is the tallest building in the Old Quebec historical district, and one of the oldest skyscrapers in Canada...
(Sainte-Anne street), Quebec City, 1929-1930.
Residential
- Le Chateau ApartmentsLe Château ApartmentsLe Château Apartments is an apartment building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 1321 Sherbrooke Street West in the Golden Square Mile neighbourhood of Downtown Montreal....
,(Sherbrooke and De La Montagne) Montreal, 1926
Other:
- The HydrostoneThe HydrostoneThe Hydrostone is a neighbourhood in the North End of the Halifax Peninsula in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It consists of ten short parallel streets and is bordered by Duffus Street to the north, Young Street to the south, Isleville Street to the west and Novalea Drive...
, Halifax, 1918 - Maple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
, Toronto, 1931–32