Dominion Public Building (Halifax)

Dominion Public Building
Dominion Public Building, Halifax
Alternative names	Main/Halifax Post Office, Federal Office[1]
General information
Architectural style	Art Deco
Location	Halifax, Nova Scotia
Address	1713 Bedford Row
Coordinates	44°38′53″N 63°34′19″W / 44.64802°N 63.57203°W / 44.64802; -63.57203
Current tenants	Public Works and Government Services Canada Royal Canadian Mounted Police[2]
Completed	1936[2]
Renovated	Interior: 1990s[2] Exterior: 2008-2009[2]
Technical details
Floor count	13
Renovating team
Awards and prizes	Lieutenant Governor’s Citation for Adaptive Reuse and Restoration (1993)[2]

The Dominion Public Building is an art deco-style office building located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Completed in 1936, it originally served as the central post office for the City of Halifax and contained various other government offices.

A four story addition using similar materials was added to the north of the original building during the 1960s. In the early 1990s, the building was transferred from Canada Post to Public Works Canada. Public Works undertook extensive interior renovations to convert the building to general office use, which included the installation of a glass atrium over the former window wells of the 4th-7th floors to create more contiguous space. Between 2008 and 2009, extensive repairs were carried out on the Tower portion of the building. The sandstone exterior on the Tower was completely removed, cleaned, and restored, which also allowed for repairs to the steel frame. The Tower restoration also included the installation of a new copper dome that is similar to the original copper roof.

Although since surpassed, the Dominion Public Building was the tallest building in Halifax at the time of its completion in 1936. The building is a federally recognized heritage building. Notable heritage features include the stone structure, the large stone seahorses at the roof level and in the main lobby, the remaining brass postal wickets and the lobby's marble floors and dedication to Edward the 8th. The Dominion Public Building is fully occupied by Public Works and Government Services Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

See also

• List of buildings in the Halifax Regional Municipality
• Dominion Public Building (Toronto)
• Former tallest buildings in Canada by province and territory

References

1. ^ William D. (Bill) Naftel. "H.B. Jefferson: Newspaperman and Wartime Press Censor". Government of Nova Scotia. http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/eastcoastport/jefferson.asp?Language=English. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Contract Award for Dominion Public Building Repair and Conservation Project Announced" (Press release). Government of Canada. http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?crtr.sj1D=&mthd=tp&crtr.mnthndVl=&nid=335569.