In the "Dirty Thirties", when a great many smaller banks were failing and closing their doors, the Bank of Nova Scotia seems to have been going the other way, erecting this monumental Art Deco head office building in the heart of downtown Halifax. Covered from top to bottom with various Nova Scotia related motifs carved in the sandstone of the building, it is as much a work of art as architecture. Further below is a relatively complete description of this artwork, from Historic Places Canada.
celebration, the 1931 Art Deco building was saluted by the city and an address was given at the bank by the granddaughter of the bank's architect, John MacIntosh Lyle. Doors Open Halifax, in its fifth year as of 2017, is an annual event which spotlights buildings of historical, contemporary or architectural significance,thereby generating interest in the city's built environment. The beginning of a CBC News story on the bank's part in the 2015 event follows.
Granddaughter of Hollis street Scotiabank architect visits Halifax
John Lyle's granddaughter, Lorna Harris, will talk about his work at the bank this weekend
By Diane Pacquette, CBC News Posted: Jun 04, 2015 6:34 PM AT
John Lyle designed the Hollis Street branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia in 1931 for the institution's 100th anniversary. Though he may not be a household name in modern-day Canada, his legacy lives on in the landmark buildings he left behind.
During Doors Open Halifax this weekend, the celebration to commemorate the art deco bank will be a family affair. Lyle's granddaughter, Lorna Harris, will be in town to talk about his work at the bank on Saturday and Sunday. She has come all the way from Victoria, B.C. to connect with visitors and share historic documents and photos. "I never met him. He died before I was born and I would have loved to have met him!" Harris told CBC's
Mainstreet.
Building a sense of the past
Harris has spent several years researching her grandfather's career to share his legacy at city-wide events in Canada.
"I've been doing this for about six years," she explained. "I've done quite a few Doors Open events in Ontario, which is where I started this and where he had most of his career."
Harris said she's thrilled to be presenting in Halifax.
"[The Hollis Street branch] is such an extraordinary building. It means so much to Scotiabank, and I think it means so much to Halifax. Certainly, judging by the newspaper articles at the opening in 1931, people have loved this building since it was built."
What she finds particularly appealing about the historic bank is the use of fine building materials including marble, stone and bronze. Harris also said she appreciates the warm colours that create a welcoming atmosphere and the huge windows that let in plenty of natural light.
Influences and style
Lyle was classically trained in Paris in the 1890s. Harris said you can see those influences as you enter the Hollis Street Scotiabank. Intricately carved, gold-coloured bronze doors can be seen, resembling European museums and churches.
"He was trained at l'Ecole des Beaux Arts, so at this point in his career he was still using classical designs, but also bringing in his ideas of regional modernism and Canadian images on banks.
Harris said Lyle collaborated with local architect, Andrew Cobb, which culminated in one of the city's most beautiful spots.
"It's full of beautiful design. It has a lovely warmth to it which was something that was happening in architecture in the late 1920s — where warmer colours were being used. And in the case of John Lyle, lots of Canadian decoration on it to establish that this is a bank in Canada and in fact a bank in the Maritimes."
At the time of its construction, the Bank of Nova Scotia spent $800,000 on the new branch — a huge amount of money at the beginning of the Great Depression.
Harris said the design was to not only make the bank impressive, but also functional and welcoming.
From CBC News