Langevin Block
Encyclopedia
The Langevin Block is an office building facing Parliament Hill
in Ottawa
, Canada
. As the home of the Privy Council Office
and Office of the Prime Minister
, it is the working headquarters
of the executive branch of the Canadian government
. Accordingly, the term Langevin Block is sometimes used as a metonym for the Prime Minister's Office.
The building is a National Historic Site of Canada.
of the Parliament Buildings.
Started in 1884 and completed in 1889, the block was the first federal government office building constructed outside the Parliament Hill precinct. It is built of sandstone
obtained from a New Brunswick quarry owned by Charles Elijah Fish
. It occupies a prominent place on Ottawa's Wellington Street, adjacent to the National War Memorial
, Chateau Laurier
, Government Conference Centre
, Rideau Canal
, National Arts Centre
, High Commission of the United Kingdom in Ottawa
, and the Sparks Street Mall. Originally named the Southwest Departmental Building, its current name comes from Sir Hector-Louis Langevin
, the Public Works Minister in the Cabinet
of Sir John A. Macdonald
.
The structure is distinctive in Ottawa for its Second Empire Style design because most government buildings from the period were built in the Gothic Revival style. It was designed by the Chief Dominion Architect Thomas Fuller
, who also designed the original Parliament Buildings. In 2000, it was named by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
as one of the top 500 buildings produced in Canada during the last millennium.
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. As the home of the Privy Council Office
Privy Council Office (Canada)
In Canada the Privy Council Office is the secretariat of the federal cabinet, providing officially non-partisan advice and support to the Prime Minister and leadership, coordination, and support to the departments and agencies of the government...
and Office of the Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)
In Canada, the Office of the Prime Minister , located in the Langevin Block, on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, is one of the most powerful parts of the government. It is made up of the prime minister and his or her top political staff, who are charged with advising the prime minister on decisions,...
, it is the working headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
of the executive branch of the Canadian government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
. Accordingly, the term Langevin Block is sometimes used as a metonym for the Prime Minister's Office.
The building is a National Historic Site of Canada.
Overview
While the offices of senior Privy Council Office officials remain in the Langevin Block, its use is now largely limited to the Prime Minister's Office, where the Prime Minister maintains his personal office, in addition to his office in the Centre BlockCentre Block
The Centre Block is the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing the Commons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of a number of Members of Parliament and Senators, as well as senior administration for both legislative houses...
of the Parliament Buildings.
Started in 1884 and completed in 1889, the block was the first federal government office building constructed outside the Parliament Hill precinct. It is built of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
obtained from a New Brunswick quarry owned by Charles Elijah Fish
Charles Elijah Fish
Charles Elijah Fish was a businessman and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Northumberland County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1899 to 1903 and Northumberland in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1926 as a Conservative member.He was born and...
. It occupies a prominent place on Ottawa's Wellington Street, adjacent to the National War Memorial
National War Memorial (Canada)
The National War Memorial , is a tall granite cenotaph with acreted bronze sculptures, that stands in Confederation Square, Ottawa, and serves as the federal war memorial for Canada....
, Chateau Laurier
Château Laurier
The Fairmont Château Laurier is a landmark hotel in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive designed in the Châteauesque style.-History:...
, Government Conference Centre
Government Conference Centre
The Government Conference Centre is a government building in downtown Ottawa, Canada, located at 2 Rideau Street. It is situated at the intersection of Wellington Street and the Rideau Canal, just a short distance from the Parliament buildings and Confederation Square, and across the street from...
, Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
, National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
, High Commission of the United Kingdom in Ottawa
High Commission of the United Kingdom in Ottawa
The British High Commission in Ottawa is the main diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in Canada. It is located at 80 Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa, across the street from the National Arts Centre and not far from Parliament Hill.- History :...
, and the Sparks Street Mall. Originally named the Southwest Departmental Building, its current name comes from Sir Hector-Louis Langevin
Hector-Louis Langevin
Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, PC, KCMG, CB, QC was a Canadian lawyer, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation....
, the Public Works Minister in the Cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
of Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
.
The structure is distinctive in Ottawa for its Second Empire Style design because most government buildings from the period were built in the Gothic Revival style. It was designed by the Chief Dominion Architect Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller (architect)
Thomas Fuller was a Canadian architect.He was born in Bath, Somerset , where he trained as an architect. Living in Bath and London he did a number of projects. In 1845 he left for Antigua, where he spent two years working on a new cathedral before emigrating to Canada in 1857...
, who also designed the original Parliament Buildings. In 2000, it was named by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada , founded in 1907, is a Canadian association representing over 3,600 architects, and faculty and graduates of Canadian Schools of Architecture.RAIC is the voice for architecture and its practice in Canada...
as one of the top 500 buildings produced in Canada during the last millennium.