The Qube is a structure located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was erected in 1969 as the headquarters for Westcoast Transmission Co. and received the American Iron and Steel Institute's Design in Steel Award in 1970-71. It is also known as the Hydro Electric Building because it served as the headquarters for BC Hydro until 1990.
The building is an example of Postmodern architecture and is constructed from aluminum and glass. Its shape is that of a square prism with one side shorter than the other two. The building has 22 floors above ground level and can be accessed by 23 elevators that serve all floors simultaneously. The total area of the building is about.
As its name suggests, the Qube is used for housing electrical equipment for BC Hydro and other power companies. It is estimated that there are no more than five similar buildings in the world.
The Qube was designed by Canadian architects Allwardt & Hildenbrand who had previously designed the Philips Pavilion for the Montreal World's Fair of 1967. The Qube was the first major project for them after that event, and it proved to be very successful. It won several awards including the American Iron and Steel Institute's Design in Steel Award in 1971.
The Qube was listed as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2008.
It was constructed by the Canadian National Railway, abbreviated CN, which gave rise to the tower's name. The building of the CN Tower began in February 1973 and was finished in 1976, following 40 months of effort. It is currently the world's tallest free-standing structure.
The CN Tower is a skyscraper located on the waterfront of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At 1,815 feet (541 m), it is the highest point in Canada's largest city. The CN Tower is owned by a private company that operates it as a luxury hotel and indoor/outdoor observation deck. It is not part of the CN railway system but connects with it at the base through an underground station called South Tower Plaza.
In addition to being a tourist attraction, the CN Tower also serves an important role for CN and its partners. As one of only two U.S. locations for CN's master control center, the tower houses equipment used by CN employees to monitor rail traffic across Canada.
The CN Tower has been named one of the "7 Wonders of Canada".
It is commonly referred to as the Skydeck or simply the Tower.
Or, as it is written in French: Le Torreya de Toronto.
Fur merchants erected the Francois Vertefeuille House in Prairie du Chien in the 1810s. It is one of Wisconsin's oldest structures and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a rare example of the piece-sur-piece coulisse method, which was historically widespread in French-Canadian architecture. The prairie du chien house has been preserved nearly in its original state by the Prairie du Chien Museum, which also displays exhibits about local history.
The land where the house stands was originally part of a large estate owned by Vertefeuille. In 1810 he hired architect Louis Pierre Roux to design him a home in American colonial style. Construction began that same year and was completed in 1812. After Vertefeuille's death his wife sold the house to settlers in Prairie du Chien. Over time most of the rooms were added to the back of the building with only the main floor and front room being original. In 1958 the museum took over ownership of the house and has restored it to look like it did when it first opened its doors.
The Vertefeuille family was among the first group of immigrants to come to what would become Wisconsin. They arrived in Prairie du Chien in 1810 and played an important role in establishing this town as an important fur trading post. After the American Revolution ended France's trade monopoly with America, many French Canadians left their homes in Quebec and Ontario for the new United States.
Frank Worthington Simon, a former student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, got his design picked from among 67 applications for the building of the spectacular tower. Tyndall stone, mined about 20 kilometers northeast of Winnipeg, was used in the construction, which began in 1913. The total cost was $1 million (1913 dollars). The building was officially opened on July 4, 1915.
It is one of the most famous architectural works of its time and still stands today as one of the city's landmarks. In fact, it is regarded as one of the premier examples of Neoclassical architecture in Canada. The main entrance features two large blocks with Ionic columns supporting an entablature and pediment. There are also smaller entrances located on the side elevations. Inside the building there are three floors of offices, a gallery, and a ballroom that can be converted into a series of meeting rooms. A board of trade room is also on the third floor.
The legislative assembly met for the first time in the new building on January 23, 1916. A fire destroyed much of the top floor early in 1945 but there were no injuries reported. The board of trade room was used to hold meetings during this time period. After the fire, renovations were done to restore the interior of the building to its original condition.
The structure is named after Jacob K. Javits, a United States Senator from New York who served from 1957 to 1981. For all law enforcement and protection matters, the building is under the jurisdiction of the United States Federal Protective Service. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has an office on the first floor.
Javits was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 4, 1906. He received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Columbia University School of Law. After graduating from law school, he worked as an attorney for the Department of Justice before being elected to Congress in 1946. He served in that position until 1955 when he was appointed by President Eisenhower to fill a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1956 and served until his death in 1994 at the age of 80. He is buried in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.
In addition to his work in Congress, Javits was involved in various other organizations during his life. He was president of the American Jewish Committee from 1953 to 1954, board chairman of the National Foundation for Cancer Research from 1969 to 1971, and chairman of the board of trustees of Yeshiva University from 1978 to 1980. In 1993, President Clinton presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work on behalf of refugees and immigrants.