First Canadian Centre, Skyscraper in Calgary, Canada
First Canadian Centre is a 41-storey, 167-metre office tower at 350 7 Avenue SW in downtown Calgary, designed by Donald C. Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Its exterior is clad entirely in white-grey marble slabs quarried in Italy, and it was built in the international and late modernist styles with 48,275 m2 of floor area. The Bank of Montreal occupies most of the ground floor.
Construction began in 1981 with a monumental concrete foundation pour that set records across North America for continuous placement in a single operation. The tower rose as Calgary transformed into a major financial hub.
The Bank of Montreal operated a grand banking hall on the ground floor, showcasing how major financial institutions shaped Calgary's downtown character during the 1980s expansion.
The building sits at 350 7th Avenue SW with direct connections to Calgary's transit system, making it easy to reach by public transportation. The downtown location places it within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and other city attractions.
The second tower's foundation was poured in 1981 in a single continuous operation: 10,000 cubic metres of concrete placed in 26 hours, then the largest such pour in North America. Police stopped traffic overnight so concrete trucks could run non-stop along Seventh Avenue. The foundation and parking levels remain covered by a park at street level.
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