The Chambers Building is one of the most iconic architectural features in Ottawa’s historic Confederation Square, just a block away from Parliament Hill. It is located on Elgin Street, right next to the National War Memorial.
The building was constructed between 1890 and 1891 by architect John James Browne. It was one of the last buildings to be erected in the Queen Anne Revival style of architecture and was considered one of the largest undertakings of its kind. It was also the first building in Ottawa to boast an electrical elevator.
One of the most immediately recognizable and visually striking aspects of the of the building is its big, blue bay windows, which line the sides of the structure. The tiered windows have a device which allows them to open on a central pivot, one of the first such features to be used in Ottawa.
The windows and doorways on the main level are each lined with an archway formed from terra cotta panels. The building’s orange tinge and blue windows certainly make it pop out among the stone buildings that surround it. While the exterior of the Chambers represents Ottawa’s historic architecture, inside, the building is much more modernized.
The front lobby is a wide open circle, stretching to the top of the building. Interior offices on each level overlook the lobby through large-paned windows.
The building originally housed the offices of the Canadian Atlantic Railway and the Ottawa and Gatineau Valley Railway. Today, the building is the home to the National Capital Commission headquarters and to the offices of the Senate.