BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL: AN UNEXPECTED ORIENTATION WITH SURPRISING OUTCOMES

· OVERVIEW:

The Fairmont Banff Springs, formerly and commonly known as the Banff Springs Hotel, is a historic hotel located in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The hotel opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, as one of the earliest of Canada's grand railway hotels, which are a series of railway hotels across the country, each a local and national landmark, and most of which are an icon of Canadian history and architecture. The hotel property has undergone several stages of growth and redevelopment. The Banff Springs Hotel sits at 405 Spray Avenue near the southern boundary of Banff, a resort town within Banff National Park. The hotel property is bounded by roadways and natural waterways. Two roadways bound the hotel to the north, Bow River Avenue, and Rundle River Avenue, while Spray Avenue bounds the hotel from the west. To the east, the hotel property is bounded by the Spray River. The river serves as a tributary for the Bow River, a waterway north of the hotel property. The hotel property sits near the confluence of the two rivers, which still proves timid as a view, compared to the more dramatic view on this site, which would be the mountain vista. The community itself is built around the Tunnel Mountain, located within the Rocky Mountain mountain range.

· HISTORY:

The original building was shaped as an H and included an octagonal center hall, with an additional wing extending from it towards the Bow River. The building was clad in shingles with stone accents. Tiered verandahs were situated at the end each wing. The 1888 structure cost $250,000 and a mistake made by the builder changed the intended orientation of the building, turning its back on the mountain vista. This building included more than 100 bedrooms, centered on a five-story, octagonal rotunda, and in spite of the unintended orientation of the building, it still impressed with its unique architectural style and grand design.

The original wooden structure, on which the present north and south wing designs are based, featured architectural elements drawn from Scottish baronial architecture, as well as the chateaus of the Loire Valley. This blend of architectural styles would eventually lead to the Châteauesque style used for most of the grand railway hotels in Canada. Châteauesque features found on the building include its steep pitched roofs, pointed dormers, and corner turrets. However, contrasting later Châteauesque hotels built in Canada, Banff Springs Hotel's also draws elements from the Arts and Crafts movement. Elements from this movement include rounded gables, and rough stone masonry used throughout the building.

An addition in 1902 expanded and renovated the building, adding more than 200 rooms. By 1906, plans were advanced for a complete overhaul of the Banff Springs Hotel building, proposing a replacement of much of the original structure. Walter Painter, chief architect for Canadian Pacific Railway, designed an eleven-story central tower in concrete and stone, flanked by two wings. This time correctly oriented to the dramatic view, the so-called "Painter Tower" was completed in 1914 at the cost of $2 million with 300 guest rooms and, for some time, became the tallest building in Canada. The construction of the new wings was actually delayed due to World War I, which provided the architect with more time to alter his design.

After the original wooden structure burnt down in 1926, John W. Orrock, an engineer with Canadian Pacific Railway, was charged with designing its replacement. Further renovations were designed, which continued in style originated by Painter, significantly expanding the Painter Tower, altering its roofline, and adding his substantial additions. In 1926, while work was proceeding on the new wings, a fire destroyed the remainder of the original building designed by Price. The two new wings completed and opened in 1928. The replacement building, or the main block, consisted of the north, and south wing. As with the tower added in 1911, the replacement structure is made up of a steel frame, clad in Rundle limestone. Orrock based elements of the new building with the general styles of the original wooden building designed by Price, meaning that the main block also featured elements found on the chateaus of the Loire Valley in France. As a result, the main block features massive wall surfaces, and steep copper roofs, dormers, and gables.

The interior of the hotel features oak beams, oak panellings and linenfolds, animal carvings, plasterwork of the ceilings, Terrazzo floors, and stained glasswork. Materials found in the interior include fossil-filled carved Tyndall limestone from Garson, Manitoba, and Bedford lime flagstones on the floors of Mount Stephen Hall, an event room within the hotel.

In 1968, the building underwent a process of winterization, allowing for the hotel to operate year-round. The hotel went through several renovations during the latter half of the 20th century, including one in 1971, and another in preparation for the 1988 Winter Olympics.

· HISTORIC FRAMEWORK:

Thus, in the case of the Banff Springs Hotel, many events and mishaps could have caused the structure to be insignificant and just be one amongst the series of Canada’s Railway Hotels. But many of the mishaps unknowingly made the architectural style of the hotel unique and gave it the recognition that it deserves and affirmed that the design did justice to the site of the hotel. Even with its originally wrong building orientation and experimental combination of two different architectural styles, the Banff Springs Hotel was the one of the first architecturally significant railway hotels. Furthermore, the fire in 1926 demanded a complete renewal of the hotel, and the wait in construction due to World War I allowed the design plans to almost marinate, which resulted in a beautiful and iconic structure that no one had ever anticipated.