Ferrier Building (formerly Physical Plant) Item Info

James Ferrier Building
James Ferrier Building
IMAGE
Watercolour of the James...
Watercolour of the James Ferrier Building
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Power house
Power house
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Power house
Power house
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Title:
Ferrier Building (formerly Physical Plant)
Alternative title:
James Ferrier Building
Architect(s):
Percy Erskine Nobbs
Donor:
No known donor
Date built:
1909
Status (as of 1996):
Standing
Current use (as of 1996):
Physical power plant
Campus:
Downtown Campus
Location:
Arts & Libraries
Latitude:
45.50552345
Longitude:
-73.57837141

Description

In 1909, Percy Erskine Nobbs, who designed many of the campuses structures and was the Director of the School of Architecture at the time, was commissioned to build a Power House for McGill to provide heat and electricity to many of the campuses buildings. These facilities, located on Dr. Penfield Avenue, had previously been in the Macdonald Engineering Building and enabled the students to see engines at work. The building was expanded in 1926 and 1936 to keep up with the demands of the campus. In 1963, Fleming and Smith were hired to construct a modern power plant for the University on the same site as the old one. This purely functional, concrete edifice was named the James Ferrier Building after a chancellor of McGill.

Attribution
Citation:
"Ferrier Building (formerly Physical Plant)", The History of McGill University's Buildings, McGill University Libraries, https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/campus/items/cb019.html