1930s elegance
Constructed in 1929-30, The Windsor Arms offers classic style. The apartments are spacious, well laid out, and filled with period details. Some units feature fireplaces and leaded glass windows.
Classic design
The building showcases a detailed entrance portico, stepped brick parapets with stained and leaded glass windows, and an elegant lobby with plaster cornice and terrazzo floors inlaid with marble.
Living central
Residents of The Windsor Arms can stroll to restaurants on Elgin, walk to work near Parliament Hill, or meander to entertainment at Landsdowne Park. And there’s always the nearby Rideau Canal for a scenic run.
The interiors
Most principal rooms at The Windsor Arms have deep, richly-stained hardwood mouldings. Nine foot ceilings and hardwood floors give the interiors traditional charm. Select units have wood burning fireplaces, while most others have handsome mantels on faux fireplaces.
Varying by apartment, other fine features include built-in china hutches, ironing board cabinets, kitchen banquettes, and floor-to-ceiling cedar cupboards. Original Belgian bathroom subway tiling is inlaid with colour banding, providing a simple and timeless look.
The building
Erected in 1929 to be Ottawa’s premier address, The Windsor Arms was said to have every imagineable modern convenience. It was designed in the Art Deco Stripped Classicism style by architect Cecil Burgess, and the builder Stewart Christie claimed the cost of construction to be 85% above the average because of conveniences put into the structure.
Designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, The Windsor Arms enjoys a Category 1 status placing it in the top-tier of protected buildings within the Centretown Heritage Conservation District. In 2009, Andrex received a certificate of merit from the City of Ottawa for the restoration of the brick and stone parapets.
The community
Located directly south of the Museum of Nature, The Windsor Arms is a short walk from Ottawa’s downtown core. Nearby Elgin and Bank streets offer residents fine restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. Groceries and essentials are all within strolling distance.
Both the Byward Market and Glebe can be reached on foot within 10 to 25 minutes, as well as the University of Ottawa. Nearby greenspace abounds, with the Rideau Canal, perfect for running and cycling, and Central Park, ideal for summer picnics, close by.
Address
150 Argyle Avenue
Constructed
1929-1930
Architect
Cecil Burgess
Client / Builder
Stewart Christie
Style
Stripped Classicism (early Art Deco)
Construction cost
$300,000 (1930)
Floors
Five
Number of units
Forty-two
Parking spots
Twelve
Elevators
One passenger, one freight
Special features in select units
Fireplaces and stained glass
Heritage designation
Centretown Heritage Conservation District, Category 1 building
Further reading
Ottawa Citizen – 15 March 1930 (news.google.ca)
Windsor Arms Apartments (wikipedia.org)