1912 – Tache Hall, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg

This student residence was the largest of the original campus buildings. Facing northeast towards the Administration Building, its facade stretches the full five hundred and fifty foot depth of the Duckworth Quadrangle. When it opened in 1912, it accomnodated two hundred women and three hundred men. Designed in a style similar to its Georgian campus contemporaries, the exterior design of the building presented a challenge to its architects Samuel Hooper and V.W. Horwood. The result was a building that uses much of the vocabulary of traditional architectural detailing. Twin block towers mark the entrance to the residence wings on either side. The extreme corners are given sweeping curves and their entries are treated with Tuscan columns. The use of salmon-red brick, limestone beltcourses, cornices quoining, and red Spanish-tile roof is consistent with all the original University buildings. Tache Hall bears the name of Archbishop Alexandre Antoine Tache, one of the people whose influence helped to establish the University of Manitoba.

“The dormitory building is one of the largest of its type on the continent. The main building is 550 feet long and 50 feet wide. It covers an area of 60,650 feet. Two thousand eight hundred separate pieces of sash are being used in the work in this building alone. Seven million brick will be required. The footings are, on an average, 8 feet wide. The roof is of Spanish tile.

The dormitory is four storeys in height, including the basement, and beneath the basement is a subbasement. The height from the foundation to the roof is 50 feet. The total height to the top of the main tower in the centre is 100 feet. The building consists of the main and central part and seven wings, the latter covering on an average 50 feet by 110 feet. The upper storeys are reached by four elevators and ten stairways. The building is of steel construction, having a steel frame with concrete floors and beams and brick walls. The stairs are of steel, with marble treads. The trimmings on the outside are of Tyndall stone. The floors of the baths, lavatories and halls are of terrazzo throughout.

The dining room is an exceptionally fine room, 100 feet by 100 feet. It is situated in the central portion of the building. The theatre is situated directly above the dining room. The floor is sloping and overhead is the dome of the central tower. Two gymnasiums are provided, one for the male students and one for the female students. The former is 80 feet by 64 feet and 40 feet high, the latter is slightly smaller. The gymnasiums have galleries 8 feet wide running round the sides at a suitable distance from the floor. These galleries rest upon cast-iron columns, carried by brick piers. The galleries may be used either as running tracks or for spectators. In the basement arc two plunge baths, one for the male students and one for the females. These plunge baths are each 20 feet by 40 feet. In addition to the plunge baths the building is equipped with 16 bathrooms, 16 lavatories and 16 water closets.”
Engineering and Contract Record, November 13 1912

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