National Breweries, Montreal

The Art Deco Montreal website has a comprehensive list of Art Deco buildings in chronological order. This building, National Breweries by architect Harold Lea Fetherstonhaugh is listed for the year 1931.

Folk Dancing @ Gare Centrale, Montreal

I am really enjoying looking at the various details in the Art Deco friezes by Charles Comfort at Montreal's Gare Central.

The other day I posted some of the sports that are represented among the scenes of Canadian life.

Today I have zoomed in on some folk dancers and the accompanying fiddler. The way the woman's hair has been stylised into a horizontal wave is a common deco technique but it one of which I never tire. I love the severe straight line Confort has used for the top of her hair.

This portion of the frieze also shows some of the other symbols and motifs that are included in the overall confusion of the scenes.

Above the dancers there is a dove carrying a branch which could symbolise peace or Noah's deliverance from the flood or both.

There is also a shamrock above the fiddler and a fleur de lis between the dancers. These and other symbols elsewhere in the friezes represent the peoples who have emigrated to Canada.

Below this panel some of the words of the Canadian National Anthem can be seen. In this case they are in French. At the other end of the ticketing hall the National Anthem is in English.

I like these scenes so much, I've isolated the detail and created some designs on Zazzle. I think they look great.

Sport @ Gare Centrale, Montreal

The Gare Centrale in Montreal was designed by J Campbell Merrett and opened in 1943.

The ends of the ticket hall bear large blue and white murals by Charles Comfort depicting all aspects of Canadian life.

Today I've picked out some sports that are included such as Ice Hockey (above).

Golf

Lacrosse

Gridiron

Skiing and Ice Skating

Empress Theatre, Montreal

The Empress Theatre was not part of any of the tours during the 10th World Congress on Art Deco in Montreal in May 2009 but it was mentioned during Dane Lanken's presentation on Montreal Movie Palaces.

Despite the rain I was glad I was able to make my own way out to see it.

The Empress was designed by Montreal architect Alcide Chaussé with decoration by Emmanuel Briffa. It opened in 1927.

Briffa has created a facade made up of Egyptian motifs, reliefs and hierglyphics.

Coming just 5 years after Howard Carter discovered the unplundered tomb of Tutankhamun Briffa has included a Pharoah's mask in the style of Tutankhamun although the feet appear to belong to the Sphinx rather than a Pharoah's mask. Above that is a winged sun disk, a common Egyptian symbol appropriated by many architects and designers of the period.

A common scene from Egyptian tombs is the Pharoah being blessed by a Goddess. Briffa has included this on the facade of the Empress as well although I wouldn't vouch for the authencity if the hierglyphics. Too many cartouches for my liking.

The Egyption decoration is continued at street level with doorways placed in Egyptian settings. The sun disk is placed directly above the entrance which is flanked by columns topped with stylised palm fronds. I like the Art Deco touch of the 'rule of three' stepped elements in the corner of the doorway decorated with hierglyphics.

The Empress was locked up when I visited and I couldn't see any of the interior which was gutted by a fire in 1992. I doubt there is much left to see.

The Empress Cultural Centre Inc are a charitable not-for-profit who are working to revitialise the old theatre as a multifunctional performing arts centre. I wish them luck and all the success in the world.

Round Room, The Carlu, Toronto

The highlight of Eaton's College Park store in Toronto was the Round Dining Room on the seventh floor. Now, the Round Room is the highlight of The Carlu which now occupies the seventh floor after a multi-million dollar restoration.

The room, like the rest of the seventh floor, was designed by Jacques Carlu and included large murals by his wife Natacha.

At regular points around the room their are rounded alcoves that can be used as casual seating areas or small stage areas.

Literally, though, the centre of attention is the fountain in the middle of the room consisting of layers of Lalique glass.

7th Floor Lobby, The Carlu, Toronto

Towards the end of October 1930, Eaton's opened their College Park store in Toronto with the undoubted highlight of the building the seventh floor.

Lady Eaton commissioned French designer Jacques Carlu to design the seventh floor. Carlu had designed the interiors of the great ocean liners Normandie and Ile de France which were particular favourites of Lady Eaton.

The seventh floor consisted of a huge lobby, circular dining room, an auditorium and a number of lounges and offices.

By the mid 1970s, the taste for these spaces had declined. Eaton's had moved to a new retail complex closer to downtown and the fabulous seventh floor was sealed up. What remained, although damaged and compromised from the original design, was protected by its designation as a national Historic Site by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The seventh floor remained empty for almost 30 years but after a multi-million dollar restoration it has emerged as The Carlu an Event Space like no other.

I was lucky to visit The Carlu as part of the Doors Open Toronto program in May 2009.

The three photos so far have been of the seventh floor lift lobby but this small office or lounge was also open for viewing.

I don't know if this was added during the restoration or was part of the original design. I don't think that matters.

It is a fabulous space which leads through to the Round Room.

1255 Phillips Square, Montreal

1255 Phillips Square in downtown Montreal was designed by Spence and Mathias and constructed in 1949.

The overall design of the exterior is simple with streamline features. Curved stone walls and windows draw people towards the entrance.

Horizontal bands of windows emphasise the streamline design as does the curved corner at the major street intersection.

The high quality lobby is finished in cream, green and black colours with brass for the mailbox and the shop windows and doors.

Birch Room, French Embassy, Ottawa

This is the so-called Birch Room at the French Embassy in Ottawa. I say so-called because officially this is Le Fumoir or the Smoking Room.

The astounding thing about this room is that Eugene Beaudouin had the walls and ceiling covered with white birch bark giving the room an alternate name and creating the effect shown below.

Garden Court, Toronto

Tim Morawetz in his excellent book Art Deco Architecture in Toronto describes the Garden Court apartments as "arguably Canada's finest example of low-rise, multi-unit housing built in the Streamlined Moderne style".

The complex consists of two and three storey blocks surrounding a central courtyard. The buildings were designed by Page and Steele and the landscaping was developed by H B Dunnington-Grubb.

Dining Room, French Embassy, Ottawa

I thought today I would show you another room from the French Embassy in Ottawa.

This is the dining room with its fresco painted walls by Alfred Courmes. The painting was completed between 1937-39 when the embassy was under construction.

Ambassador's Office, French Embassy, Ottawa

When I was in Ottawa earlier this year I was lucky enough to visit the French Embassy.

This is the Ambassador's Office which I visited with a few of closest friends.

The embassy was constructed between 1936 and 1939 and this room is just one of several spectacular rooms in the building.

In the Ambassador's Office, the walls have been decorated by artist Charles Pinson using a technique where he engraved the images on the bare walls and then used Indian Ink to bring out the details.

Each wall tells a different aspect of the story of the New France settlement in Canada from 1534-1760.

The room features this fabulous fireplace with an asymetrical design with the form of a female bust at one end and two circular columns at the other.

The quality of Pinson's engraving can be seen in this wonderful sea monster breathing fire under the mantlepiece.

Piscine Rosemont

The swimming pool in the Montreal suburb of Rosemont is an Art Deco gem.

Deco panels above and below the windows. A great little flagpole and scalloped metalwork around the roofline.

In my opinion, the best feature is the relief panel showing a swimmer diving through the water.

McTavish Apartments, Montreal

McTavish Apartments were built in 1941 on the site of the home of the Lyman family, Thornhill Mansion. They were designed by architect Charles Grenier.

The building is now part of Montreal's McGill University and is used for academic rather than residential purposes.

The apartments feature maritime elements such as metal-railed balconies and porthole windows with embedded square panels which for ventilation.

Along the McTavish Street facade the windows facing onto the balconies use glass bricks, presumably for privacy and the setback entrance also has porthole windows with glass bricks above the door.

Inside there is a small foyer with a green and yellow gingham pattern on the floor and a pair of fantastic handrails either side of a short flight of steps leading to the central core of the building.

The main stairs for the building wind around this semi-circular stairwell.

The maritime theme reoccurs in the colourful relief on the wall in the foyer. This wonderful sight greets you as you first walk into the building. Ancient mariners accompanied by an albratros or other large seabird looked over by a horse-borne goddess. A superb design.