Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council

• Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

• Architect: Thomas Fuller

• Style: Second Empire

• Completed in: 1889

The Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council is prominently situated right in front of the Centre Block of the Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa. As it houses the Office of the Prime Minister and the Privy Council Office, it is the heart of the executive branch of the Canadian government.

"View of the building from the Parliament Hill"

The building was initially named "Langevin Block" at the time of the construction in 1889 after Hector-Louis Langevin, a Father of Confederation and cabinet minister and used as a metonym for the Prime Minister's Office, however, the name of the building was remained to the current name in 2017 after the Langevin's involvement in the infamous residential school system was discovered.

The building was constructed in 1889 by the architect, Thomas Fuller, in the style of Second Empire, which was rather unique at that time, because many of the buildings in the Parliament Hill were designed in the Gothic-revival style. It was the very first federal government office building outside of the Parliament Hill.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council showcases fine architectural characteristics of the Second Empire, including well-defined, symmetrical façades, mansard roofs and dormer windows and the Romanesque-influenced rows of round arched windows.

"Symmetrical façades"

"Mansard roofs and round arched windows"

Reference:

Historic Places Canada. (n.d.). Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council National Historic Site of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=4031

Parks Canada. (n.d.). Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council (Langevin Block). Retrieved from https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_fhbro_eng.aspx?id=2992

Wikipedia contributors. (2023, November 3). Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_the_Prime_Minister_and_Privy_Council