Alberta Register of Historic Places

Heritage Hall of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

Calgary

Other Names:

Heritage Hall (Old Main Bldg.) SAIT

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place
Heritage Hall of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology is a three-storey steel and concrete building. Built between1921 and 1922, it is constructed in the Collegiate Gothic style and features a symmetrical red-brick and sandstone facade, twin four storey square towers, parapets, and a distinctive fenestration pattern. Originally known as the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art and Normal School, it was rechristened Heritage Hall in 1985. It is located on the main campus of Calgary's Southern Alberta Institute of Technology at 1301-16 Avenue NW.

Heritage Value
The heritage value of the Heritage Hall of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology lies in its association with the development of post-secondary institutions in Alberta and Canada. It also has significant architectural value as an excellent example of the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture.

The significance of Heritage Hall of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology lies in its association with the establishment of post-secondary educational institutions in Alberta, particularly technical, trades and teacher training. The building originally accommodated the Alberta Normal School, created for the training of teachers, and the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art, which was originally established to retrain veterans of the First World War and assist in their reintegration into peacetime society. Both institutions had previously been operating from other locations in Calgary. Alberta was one of the first provinces to recognize the need for technical and trades training and this building represents that pioneering effort. The school expanded its program offerings over time to respond to emerging fields such as aeronautical engineering and hospitality and tourism. The Normal School for southern Alberta was located here from its opening until teacher training was assumed by the universities. In 1960, the school’s arts programs were separated from the institution to become the Alberta College of Art (Now the Alberta University of the Arts) and the technical and trades programs, which continued to be offered from the building, were rechristened as the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Heritage Hall’s long association with trades, arts and teacher training serves as a tangible connection to Alberta’s early and continued efforts to develop post-secondary educational institutions.

Heritage Hall of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology is also significant as an excellent example of the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture. The building was designed by Provincial Architect, Richard Palin Blakey, and was built between 1921 and 1922. Heritage Hall is divided into three major sections: a central block flanked by two towers, and two wings. The Collegiate Gothic style of architecture was used frequently on North American campuses because it effectively associated these institutions with the educational traditions of the established English universities. Heritage Hall is an excellent example of this style and it is the only building of this style in the city of Calgary. The building's exterior design elements that reflect this style are its robust construction, twin square towers with crenellated parapets, pinnacles at each corner and interlocking gothic arches; and a Tudor arch over the front doors. The interior embodies this sensibility in an auditorium based on a baronial hall with minstrel gallery and gothic-arched windows. The exterior and interior features of the building are well preserved and the building retains a coherent and stately appearance.

Source: Arts, Culture and Status of Women, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 1051)

Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage value of Heritage Hall of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology's heritage value include:

- elements of its design that reflect Collegiate Gothic architecture, including robust construction, twin square towers with crenellated parapets, pinnacles, parapets, interlocking gothic arches, a Tudor arch over the front doors, and auditorium based on a baronial hall with minstrel gallery and gothic-arched windows;
- highly detailed gothic decorative stone workings throughout the building;
- fenestration pattern;
- distinctive pattern of red brick and sandstone;
- general symmetry of facades;
- interior architectural features, such as the terrazzo flooring, oak doors, solid maple banisters and auditorium;
- numerous painted murals completed by arts program students in the late-1940s and 1950s.

Location

Street Address:	1301 - 16 Avenue NW
Community:	Calgary
Boundaries:	Portion of Lot 1, Plan 7710730
Contributing Resources:	Building: 1

ATS Legal Description:

Mer	Rge	Twp	Sec	LSD
5	1	24	21	13 (ptn.)

PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):

Plan	Block	Lot	Parcel
7710730		1 (ptn.)

Latitude/Longitude:

Latitude	Longitude	CDT	Datum Type
51.064194	-114.089246	GPS	NAD 83

UTM Reference:

Northing	Easting	Zone	CDT	Datum Type

Recognition

Recognition Authority:	Province of Alberta
Designation Status:	Provincial Historic Resource
Date of Designation:	1985/05/31

Historical Information

Built:	1921 to 1922
Period of Significance:	1921 to 1960
Theme(s):	Building Social and Community Life : Education and Social Well-Being Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life : Architecture and Design
Historic Function(s):	Education : Post-Secondary Institution Education : Post-Secondary Institution
Current Function(s):
Architect:	R.P. Blakey
Builder:
Context:	HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE This large landmark was the first major building erected on what is now the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology campus. The Province of Alberta was a pioneering jurisdiction in recognizing the need for specialized, post-secondary technical and trades training and this building was constructed to accommodate the Alberta Normal School, for the training of teachers, and the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art, which was originally established largely to retrain veterans of the First World War and assist in their reintegration into peacetime society. The southern Alberta Normal School was located here from its opening until teacher training was assumed by the universities in the 1960s. Original technical and trades programs offered from the Heritage Hall location included the arts program, automotive and farm machinery repair, dressmaking and millinery, motion-picture projectionist training; railroad station agent and telegraphy and a variety of design and construction related trades such as drafting; carpentry, woodworking, and cabinetmaking; plumbing; bricklaying; and welding. The school expanded over the following years by adding new programs and courses, notably aeronautical engineering courses - the first in Canada - in 1929 and Hospitality and Tourism courses in 1947. During the Second World War, Heritage Hall was taken over by the federal government and was used as No. 2 Wireless Training School to train airmen under the British Commonwealth Air Training Program. After the war, the building also became home to the University of Alberta at Calgary, the forerunner of the University of Calgary. In 1960, the school’s arts programs were separated from the institution to become the Alberta College of Art (now the Alberta University of the Arts). The technical and trades programs were rechristened as the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and remained at this location, although the purpose of building evolved as SAIT programs and enrollment expanded and additional, specialized buildings were erected on the campus. After briefly considering demolition of the building, in 1985, SAIT rechristened the building as Heritage Hall. An interesting feature of Heritage Hall are a series of murals painted in the late-1940s and 1950s by the school’s art students, some of whom went onto become well-recognized figures in Alberta and Canada’s art scene. These murals chronicle the institution’s history as a technical institute and Normal School and provide a tangible link to the school’s past as an arts school. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Heritage Hall was designed by the Provincial Architect, Richard Palin Blakey. It is a three-storey building dominated by the central entrance flanked by two tall towers enlivened by Gothic detail characteristic of the Collegiate Gothic architecture prevalent throughout North America at the time. This style was frequently used for post-secondary educational institutions throughout North America. The intent was to visually associate these, at the time, newer North America institutions with older and renowned English schools, notably Oxford and Cambridge. In North America, the Collegiate Gothic style is generally characterized by its brick facades with lighter coloured stones or concrete on beltcourses, quoins and the sills, lintels and surrounds of door and window openings. These buildings are often monumental in scale and gothic arches, towers, parapets and battlements are frequently used, giving these buildings either and ecclesiastical- or castle/fortress-like appearance. The elements of the style most apparent in Heritage Hall is the use of red brick with sandstone highlights, notably the monumental front entry surround, beltcourses, buttresses, quoins and battlements.

Additional Information

Object Number:	4665-0562
Designation File:	DES 1051
Related Listing(s):
Heritage Survey File:	HS 24182
Website Link:
Data Source:	Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch, Old St. Stephen's College, 8820 - 112 Street, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P8 (File: Des. 1051)