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| | LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: | Series | | No.: | PR2982.0001 | | TITLE: | W.G. Milne Architect, Calgary Tower | | DATE RANGE: | 1963-1998 | | ADMINISTRATIVE | | SCOPE AND CONTENT: |
The Calgary Tower, Calgary's most famous landmark and once tallest free-standing
structure in Canada, was designed by Milne and officially opened on June 30, 1968. This 191 meter high
structure from conception was known as Centennial Tower commemorating Canada's one hundredth
anniversary. It was later known as Husky Tower after getting support from Husky Oil. The building with
high speed elevators is topped by a revolving restaurant and an observation deck giving views of southern
Alberta for more than 100 km in all directions.
The unusual height and design of this structure presented many problems of planning, construction and
storage. A suitable base was developed with concrete and tons of reinforced steel to support the tower. The
column of the tower was built using a continual pour of concrete. Pouring began on May 15, 1967 and was
completed 24 days later. At the time of construction, it was the tallest structure in Canada. The tower total
weight is approximately 10,000 tons, of which 60%, or roughly 6,000 tons, is below ground. In 1988 a
natural gas fired cauldron was constructed at the top. The flame in it served as the Olympic torch during
the 1988 Winter Olympic Games and has been used to mark special occasions such as the Queen's 2005
visit. The tower is a founding member of the World Federation of Great Towers. Milne visited and studied
several towers in the world before designing the one in Calgary, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the
Space Needle in Seattle.
The series consists of minutes of meetings, brochures, historical material, site plans, ground floor plans,
elevations and cross sections, observation and restaurant plans.
| | LANGUAGE NOTE: | In English. | | RELATED FONDS: | PR2982 (William (Bill) G. Milne fonds)
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