Richardson Building
The Richardson Building at 1 Lombard Place in downtown Winnipeg is Manitoba’s most prominent mid-century skyscraper, a 34-storey tower completed in 1969 at the intersection of Portage and Main — historically the most famous crossroads in Western Canada. Designed by Winnipeg firm Smith Carter Searle and Associates with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill as consulting architects, the building rises 124 metres to its roof and serves as the headquarters of James Richardson and Sons, one of Canada’s oldest and most prominent family business dynasties. Clad in granite chip pre-cast concrete and solar bronze double-glazed glass, the tower is a refined example of International Style commercial architecture. Its plaza features bronze sculpture by Leo Mol and Ivan Eyre, making the building a cultural landmark as well as a business address at the heart of the Canadian Prairies.
At a glance
- Type
- Commercial skyscraper
- Period
- 1967–1969
- Style
- International Style
- Location
- 1 Lombard Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Coordinates
- 49.8961° N, 97.1378° W
- Architect(s)
- Smith Carter Searle and Associates; Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (consulting)
Overview
Standing 34 storeys and 124 metres tall at Portage and Main, the Richardson Building is the third tallest structure in Winnipeg and a defining feature of the city’s downtown skyline. Built at an original estimated cost of $29 million, the tower was completed on 14 November 1969 as the headquarters of James Richardson and Sons, one of Canada’s oldest private business empires, with roots in grain trading stretching back to the nineteenth century. Constructed from granite chip pre-cast concrete and solar bronze double-glazed glass, it presents a composed and authoritative International Style profile. The tower’s 652,000 square feet of floor area make it one of the largest office buildings in the Prairie provinces, and its connection to Winnipeg Square and the Portage and Main underground concourse system integrates it fully into the city’s downtown infrastructure.
History
The Richardson family’s ambition to build a headquarters tower in Winnipeg predates the current building by four decades. An initial proposal for a major Richardson tower was advanced in the 1920s but abandoned after the stock market crash of 1929 rendered it economically impossible. Construction of the present building was announced on 23 February 1967, with excavation beginning on 19 October of that year. The topping-off ceremony was held on 4 November 1968, and the completed tower opened on 14 November 1969. The 31st floor was originally fitted as a public observation deck, offering panoramic views over the flat Manitoba landscape, though this feature is no longer in operation. The building has been expanded and improved over the decades, with public art additions enhancing Richardson Plaza in 2000 and 2012.
Architecture & Design
Smith Carter Searle and Associates, in consultation with the internationally renowned firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, designed the Richardson Building as a disciplined example of International Style commercial architecture. The tower’s exterior cladding of granite chip pre-cast concrete panels, combined with solar bronze double-glazed glass curtain walls, creates a sober, refined profile characteristic of the style’s best corporate expressions. The building rises 124 metres to its roof and carries an antenna that brings its total height to approximately 151.8 metres. With a floor area of 652,000 square feet, the tower provides substantial accommodation across its 34 storeys. Richardson Plaza, the ground-level public space surrounding the building, has been enriched by public artworks: a Leo Mol bronze sculpture installed in 2000 and Ivan Eyre’s North Watch installation in 2012.
Cultural significance
The Richardson Building stands at Portage and Main, the intersection that has served as the symbolic and commercial heart of Western Canada since the late nineteenth century. Its construction represented Winnipeg’s post-war assertion of economic vitality and confidence in a period when the city’s downtown was being substantially remade. As the headquarters of James Richardson and Sons — a company with interests spanning grain, financial services, and real estate — the building is inseparable from the story of Prairie enterprise and family capitalism in Canada. The public sculptures in Richardson Plaza by Leo Mol and Ivan Eyre, two of Manitoba’s most celebrated artists, give the building an additional layer of cultural meaning that extends beyond its commercial function.
Visiting today
The Richardson Building is an active private office tower at 1 Lombard Place and is not open to the general public beyond its lobby and plaza areas. Richardson Plaza is freely accessible and features the bronze sculptures by Leo Mol and Ivan Eyre, making it a worthwhile stop on any architectural walking tour of downtown Winnipeg. The building connects directly to Winnipeg Square shopping mall and the underground Portage and Main Concourse, which provides sheltered pedestrian access to much of the surrounding Financial District. The observation deck formerly located on the 31st floor is no longer in public operation.
Getting there
The Richardson Building is located at 1 Lombard Place at the junction of Portage Avenue and Main Street in downtown Winnipeg. Multiple Winnipeg Transit bus routes serve this central intersection, which is one of the busiest transit hubs in the city. The Portage and Main underground concourse provides sheltered pedestrian connections to surrounding blocks. Taxis and ride-share services are readily available. Paid surface and underground parking is accessible in the immediate vicinity of the tower.
Sources & resources
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