Bank of Canada Building, Financial headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
The Bank of Canada Building is the headquarters of Canada's central bank, located in downtown Ottawa, where a granite and bronze structure from the 1930s is wrapped by a glass extension added later. The original building sits at the core, while the glass section surrounds it on multiple sides, creating an interior courtyard visible from inside.
The original stone structure was completed in the late 1930s, designed by architect Sumner Godfrey Davenport in a classical style typical of that era. Decades later, the glass extension was built around the original building to accommodate the growing needs of the institution.
Seven stone reliefs on the facade represent different sectors of the Canadian economy, such as fishing, mining, and electricity. They are carved directly into the exterior walls and catch the eye of anyone walking past.
The courtyard inside the glass extension can be visited during the day without any prior arrangement, making it a convenient stop for those already exploring central Ottawa. The building sits on Wellington Street, within walking distance of Parliament Hill and other nearby landmarks.
In the courtyard, a stone disc from the Pacific island of Yap is on display. It weighs around 3 tons and was once used as currency there, making it one of the few examples of this type of object visible in North America.
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