Hamilton City Hall

Hamilton City Hall was designed in the modernist International Style by Canada’s first municipally-employed architect, Stanley M. Roscoe.

Constructed in 1960, it has become one of the few intact examples of this style of architecture in Canada, and exemplifies a progressive movement away from the Victorian historicism of Hamilton at the time. Attributes of the International Style found in the design include: massing and geometry, open interior plan, structural grid system and the use of curtain wall, flat roofs, finishing materials of steel, concrete and marble, and the integration of art (as opposed to ornamentation) into the design.

The 2010 heritage rehabilitation of this modernist International Style building included:

• Relocation of services to the main floor to provide greater ease of access for the public
• Improvements to the building’s energy performance by insulating exterior walls, and installation of high efficiency mechanical systems
• Upgrades to meet current OBC requirements including barrier free accessibility
• Replacement of major building services and integration of contemporary technology

Challenges of the Heritage Conservation Plan:

• Integration of new building systems while respecting the heritage building fabric
• Replacement of exterior marble cladding with more durable cladding due to life safety and structural stability concerns caused by deterioration of the original marble in the southern Ontario climate
• Protection and restoration of Italian glass mosaic tile used extensively on exterior soffits, spandrel panels, and fascia, and interior walls and ceilings
• Protection and restoration of terrazzo flooring, interior wood paneling and doors, luminescent stone panels, marble interior paneling, aluminum handrails and guards, and curtain wall
• Conservation of interior art murals including cleaning, protection and relocation of one mural
• Rehabilitation of the Council Chambers with dome skylight