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Discover the structures, places, and stories that shaped Edmonton's built environment.

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We acknowledge that the land on which Edmonton is built is Treaty Six Territory. We thank the diverse Indigenous Peoples whose footsteps have marked this territory for centuries, such as nêhiyaw (Cree), Dené, Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Nakota Isga (Nakota Sioux), and Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) peoples. We also acknowledge this as the Métis homeland and the home of one of the largest communities of Inuit south of the 60th parallel. It is a welcoming place for all peoples who come from around the world to share Edmonton as a home. It is important that we not only recognize our shared histories, but also each other's contributions to establishing the built heritage of Edmonton and Area.

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Architectural Styles

Edmonton's built heritage spans more than two dozen architectural styles, from the masonry craft of the Edwardian boom years to the curtain-wall modernism of the 1960s. Beaux Arts banks, Tudor Revival houses, Arts and Crafts bungalows, and Ukrainian Byzantine churches all took root here as the city grew — each style carried by builders, architects, and immigrant communities from across the continent and beyond.

Browse the full catalogue to explore the movements that shaped Edmonton's skyline, and see which buildings in the collection exemplify each one.

In this collection

Architectural styles
27Architectural styles

Showing 27 styles

Detail of the entrance of the Federal Building from 2013, highlighting architectural features.

Art Deco Influences

Art Deco influenced buildings are not common in Edmonton, through there are some noteworthy examples.

R.W. McKinnell Residence, 2013, front elevation. Photo courtesy of Ann Hall.

Arts and Crafts

The Arts and Crafts style valued natural materials and truth in form. It was typically very ornate and employed a lot of details.

Ornate Beaux Arts building facade with columns, pediment, and arched entrance viewed from the street.

Beaux Arts

Elegant Beaux Arts buildings were constructed between 1885 and 1930 especially by those wanting to portray an image of prosperity.

Exterior view of the Law Courts Building in Edmonton from 1978.

Brutalist

Brutalist architecture is characterized by concrete and a lack of detail. Regardless of your view on its aesthetics, it is certainly easy to identify.

St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, exterior view captured in a historical photograph.

Byzantine

Byzantine architecture is an important reminder of the Eastern European settlers who arrived in Edmonton beginning in the 1890s.

The McLeod Building, 1915, front elevation. City of Edmonton Archives EA-10-368.

Chicago

A school of architecture grew out of Chicago in the early 1900s and made its presence known across North America, including a few examples in Edmonton.

Magrath Mansion, 2007, front balcony. Photo by Lawrence Herzog. Courtesy of City of Edmonton Sustainable Development.

Classical Revival

Classical Revival architecture is a romantic style that makes use of elements found in Greek and Roman buildings from antiquity.

Holy Trinity Anglican Church in 2008 from the front view, showcasing its architectural features.

Clinker

Clinker bricks were valued for their unique appearance and used extensively in Edmonton, unlike most other places where they were considered garbage.

Exterior view of St. Stephen's College from 1913, showcasing the front elevation. City of Edmonton Archives EA-561-26.

Collegiate Gothic

Collegiate Gothic architecture is associated with education, and is often found on university campuses, including the University of Alberta.

Exterior view of Richard Wallace Residence taken in 2006. City of Edmonton Archives EA-792-506.

Craftsman

The Craftsman style was similar to Arts and Crafts but less detailed. The value of natural materials and truth in form are still very evident.

Ernest Brown Block, 2007, front elevation. Photo by Lawrence Herzog. Courtesy of City of Edmonton Sustainable Development.

Edwardian

The Edwardian style was popular in Edmonton in the first decades of the 20th century and was most commonly seen in commercial buildings.

Gibson Block, 1958, front window detail. City of Edmonton Archives EA-193-20.

Flatiron

The iconic Flat Iron style is easily identifiable by its triangular footprint a flat roof.

Margaret Martin Residence, 2006, front elevation. City of Edmonton Archives EA-792-286.

Foursquare

Foursquare homes were very popular in Edmonton in the 1910s. There are many surviving examples that provide wonderful character to some of the city's older neighbourhoods.

Front view of Robertson-Wesley United Church taken in 1975, showcasing its exterior design.

Gothic Revival

The Gothic Revival style in Edmonton is most commonly seen in churches, such as St. Joachim's or Robertson-Wesley.

First Nations Camp, ca. 1905

Indigenous

When outsiders look upon Indigenous architecture, they are often intially preoccupied with the ease and simplistic appearance. However, under the surface of the natural materials and form are complex design elements that rival today's modern buildings.

Exterior view of Beth Shalom Synagogue along Jasper Avenue taken in 1952.

International

The International style was popular in Edmonton in the 1950s, and is most easily identified by its smooth surfaces, flat roof and lack of detail.

Exterior view of Old Timers' Cabin in 1968, housed in the City of Edmonton Archives.

Log

Log buildings were among the first constructed in the Edmonton area. Although seemingly rudimentary, they required considerable skill to build well.

Edmonton's Queen Elizabeth Planetarium, 2008, side view. Photo by James Dow. Courtesy of COE Sustainable Development.

Modern

Edmonton has a rich and varied Modern architectural legacy, with many subsets and some world class examples.

Garneau Theatre, 2008, close up of sign detail. Photo by James Dow. Courtesy of COE Sustainable Development.

Moderne

Moderne architecture was popular in Edmonton in the 1930s and 1940s and was an adaptation of the Art Deco style.

Exterior view of Victoria School, showcasing its architecture and surroundings.

Neo-classical

Shandro Residence, 2013, front elevation. Photo courtesy of Ann Hall.

Prairie

Edmonton has only a few examples of Prairie style homes, identified by their low roofs, banks of windows and horizontal emphasis.

William Paskins Residence, 2007, front elevation. Photo by Lawrence Herzog. Courtesy of COE Sustainable Development.

Queen Anne

The Queen Anne style was popular in the late 1890s and early 1900s, but not many examples have survived in Edmonton.

Side view of Government House in 1912, showcasing the greenhouse, captured by the City of Edmonton Archives.

Scottish Baronial

The Scottish Baronial style can be seen in some of Edmonton's most iconic structures, such as the Hotel Macdonald or the Provincial Legislature.

Gariepy and Brosseau Store, circa 1900, showing the exterior view of the building.

Second Empire

Inspired by traditions coming out of the French Renaissance, Second Empire buildings are lavish and complex, and always feature a distinctive Mansard roof.

Exterior view of El Mirador Apartments in 2015.

Spanish Revival

The Spanish Revival style served to romanticize not only theatres and commercial structures, but residential buildings as well.

Neil MacLean Residence, 2013, front elevation. Photo courtesy of Ann Hall.

Tudor Revival

Tudor Revival architecture was popular in Edmonton in the 1930s, and can evoke responses for its storybook qualities.

Exterior view of the John McNeill Residence, showcasing its unique architectural style.

Victorian