Victoria City Hall, British Columbia, Second Empire town hall in Victoria, Canada
Victoria City Hall is a three-story town hall built in the Second Empire style, located downtown at the corner of Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue. The brick building features a 105-foot clock tower, tall windows, a metal mansard roof, and dormer windows that break up the roofline.
John Teague designed the building, constructed between 1878 and 1891 and completed in 1890. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1977 and a municipal heritage site in 1979. In 1963 it was nearly demolished to make way for Centennial Square.
Victoria City Hall is where Victoria City Council meets, and the building's name is tied to the city it governs. The 105-foot Gillet and Johnson clock tower is the feature residents and passers-by use to orient themselves downtown. The hall stands beside the CTV Vancouver Island studios and the McPherson Playhouse, so civic business shares the block with local broadcasting and theatre.
The building is easily accessible in downtown Victoria at a central intersection, and the exterior can be viewed at any time. Since it remains an active government office, visiting the interior requires attention to posted hours and any entry restrictions.
In 1963 the hall was nearly demolished to clear the way for Centennial Square; it survived and now anchors the Old Town District. The 105-foot Gillet and Johnson clock tower rises above the corner of Douglas and Pandora, next to the CTV Vancouver Island studios and the McPherson Playhouse.
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