Description of Historic Place

The Gibson Block is large wedge-shaped four-storey brick building constructed in 1913. It occupies four lots of a triangular block on Jasper Avenue at the eastern edge of Edmonton's pre-World War One commercial core.

Heritage Value

The Gibson Block is valued as a rare example of a commercial building in the flatiron style, so named for its distinctive triangular shape, and as structural evidence of Alberta's commercial boom in the early years of the twentieth century.

The flatiron design, which originated in New York in 1902, was popular in North American cities prior to World War One as a way of using oddly-shaped parcels of real estate. The Gibson Block also incorporated elements of the Chicago style (notably its characteristic vertical emphasis of pilasters and windows contrasting with a horizontal motif in continuous glass shop fronts and cornices) as a visual statement of confidence in the new city's ability to rival those of the East. The most prominent of the commercial buildings in Jasper East Block area (96th and 97th Streets), the Gibson Block has been an important landmark in downtown Edmonton.

Developed by William Gibson, the building has mirrored the changing fortunes of the city's commercial district. It originally housed retail space on the first floor, offices on the upper floors, and a Turkish Baths in the basement, though the upper floors were converted to apartments in 1914.

Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 108)

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Gibson Block lies in such character-defining elements as:
- form, scale and massing, in particular the triangular shape;
- Chicago style influences such as: brick pilasters, continuous glass shop front at street level; entablatures and cornices on the first and fourth stories;
- decorative elements such as the decorative square motif in brick and concrete, fourth storey brick semicircular arch (north facade), and cornice medallions;
- fenestration pattern of one over one window units with cast stone sills, as well as stairwell windows on the north facade and curved windows at the toe of the wedged shaped building;
- main entrance with semicircular wooden archway on the south facade, with keystone design, including the doors and globe lights;
- recessed storefront entrances and ceramic tiles on the south facade;
- restored amethyst prism glass transom on the toe and south facades.