10 must-see Canadian architectural icons

by Julie Bruns

Unique buildings can sometimes define a city, if not a country – the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tower Bridge in London, New York and Chicago’s skyscrapers being just a few examples. And Canada can hold its own in this regard, with some amazing, inspiring architectural icons spread across the country. Big or small, old or new, the ones on our list are all amongst the buildings that help define Canada. [Image credit: iStock.com/rabbit75_ist]

Let’s start with a classic: the CN Tower, briefly the tallest free-standing structure in the world, it is now the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere (and has fallen to third in the world). Its glass floors give it an edgy modern look, and provide an unbeatable, and slightly unnerving, view of the city. It’s even gotten an official “architectural wonder” nod from the American Society of Civil Engineers. [Image credit: iStock.com/Luke Abrahams]

This grandiose hotel looks more like a castle from a distance, complete with a variety of turrets. It opened in 1893 as one of a series of hotels owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and has looked out over Quebec City ever since. Informally recognized as the most photographed hotel in the world, it has also attracted historical figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, William Lyon Mackenzie and Winston Churchill. {Image credit: iStock.com/PM10]

This eye-catching modern apartment complex was the brainchild of architect Moshe Safdie, and was designed for Expo 67. The interlocking style of the 146 apartments creates an increased sense of privacy for the residents, and induces bemusement and wonder in passersby. [Image credit: iStock.com/Photon-Photos]

Located on an island off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, the Fogo Island Inn offers a front-row seat to the beauty and brutality of the North Atlantic. The award-winning building is set on stilts on the island’s rocky shores, with all 29 suites offering floor-to-ceiling views of the sea outside. [Image credit: Fogo Island Inn]

With its sweeping curves and black domes, the Canadian Museum of History is an instantly recognizable structure. It doesn’t hurt that it’s located directly across the Ottawa River from Parliamet Hill, meaning it gets plenty of eyeballs from a distance, in addition to the millions that walk through its doors every year. Designed by renowned aboriginal architect Douglas Cardinal, the various architectural elements of the museum are meant to represent, among other things, the bedrock of the Canadian Shield, a melting glacier and a turtle’s head. [Image credit: iStock.com/Photon-Photos]

Just below the CN Tower, you’ll find Rogers Centre, previously dubbed the Skydome. This major venue for concerts and sporting events is well known as home to the Toronto Blue Jays team as well as the Argonauts. It’s motorized roof is fully retractable, and it was the first stadium to have this feature, giving it a well-deserved spot on Canada’s architectural wonder list. [Image credit: iStock.com/mdmworks]

Although this library may not be known to many outside of Quebec, architecture buffs will tell you that it is one of the most awarded buildings in Canada. With over 50 design and architecture awards to its name, this former church has been reinvented as a library and community centre complex that is as much of a pleasure to view from the outside and walk through. Stunning lines and tasteful updates make this a place well worth visiting. [Image credit: Jean Gagnon]

This stately hotel jumps out from the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains, looking like an elegant fortress hidden up in the mountains. The design came from Bruce Price, the same architect who designed Château Frontenac, and like the Chateau, was built as one of the grand railway hotels to help promote and serve the customers of the railway who wanted luxurious lodging along their journey. [Image credit: iStock.com/jewhyte]

Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica was completed in the 1840s and was for almost half a century the largest church in North America. It was also, and remains, one of its most beautiful. Built in the Gothic Revival style, the basilica is highly decorated and features intricate design elements both inside and out. [Image credit: iStock.com/SoumenNath]

While its architectural merits may be questionable, there’s no doubt that Green Gables is one of the most recognizable building in all of Canada. The setting for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s quintessentially Canadian Anne of Green Gables novels. The small farmhouse was built in the mid-1800s and owned by Montgomery’s cousins, becoming the inspiration for many of Anne’s adventures. [Image credit: iStock.com/Photon-Photos]