If you are visiting Canada you will see a blend of colonial and modern Architecture in Canada. The country has been the home of the natives and then was colonized by European powers. Therefore the architecture featured traditional elements and later had European features. The First nations or natives of Canada lived in different types of houses and so the Architecture was unique.
The semi nomadic people like the Mi'kmaq, Cree, and Algonquin of Quebec, northern Ontario and the Atlantic coast lived in wigwams. These were wood framed structures and had a covering of bark, reeds and woven mats. Due to the nomadic life in the Prairies in Canada, the people lived in a tipi. The Architecture of the tipi was simple and consisted of a thin wooden frame covered with animal hides.
In the west coast of Canada, the Haida's constructed large houses made of red cedar planks. But in the north were wood was scarce the natives lived in igloos in winter which were domed structures made of snow. In summer they lived in tents made of seal skins or hides. With the arrival of the French in Quebec the Architecture in Canada featured European designs common at that time. Many of the fortresses, palaces, churches were built in the popular Baroque architecture style.
The rural settlers along the St.Lawrence city came from Normandy in France and so the Architecture featured the style of the region. The houses were rectangular with one storey and had tall and steep roof. The churches in rural areas were copies of the major ones in Quebec City or Montreal and therefore a unique French-Canadian church Architecture in Canada evolved.
The British settlements in Newfoundland and the Atlantic coast featured New England Architecture style. The style included Cape Cod style of house which had a low broad frame building with one storey. There was a pitched roof with end gables and a huge central chimney. The returning English speaking Canadians who were United Empire Loyalists fighting the American Revolution started building their houses in Georgian Architecture style.
The Architecture in Canada changed to the Victorian style from the mid 19th century till the World War I. One popular style was the Gothic Revival style and became the dominant style of architecture for Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. Some of the examples are the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and St.Michael's Cathedral in Toronto. Other styles of Architecture in Canada included the Romanesque Revival (British Columbia Legislature buildings and Old Toronto City Hall), Neoclassicism (Toronto's Union Station), Second Empire Style (national Assembly of Quebec, Montreal City Hall, Manitoba Legislative Building), Queen Anne Style and Tudor Style.
During the interwar period Art Deco style was used and in the 20's and 30's many banks and insurance companies used Modern Classicism style. In the 1960's and 70's International Style became a prominent style of Architecture in Canada which featured glass and steel skyscrapers.
For further reference on Architecture in Canada, kindly check travel.mapsofworld.com.
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