Wellington Building

Publication:17 August 2026

The Wellington Building was originally constructed as a colonnaded Beaux-Arts building in 1925-27 as the Canadian headquarters for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Originally designed by D. Everett Waid and J.A. Ewart, the building stands as a prominent visual architectural landmark within the institutional setting of Parliament Hill and the commercial streetscape of Sparks Street. Beginning as a six-storey office block, the 1950s renovations integrated an addition of a classical side extension and two upper storeys. The federal government then took ownership of the building in the 1970s and later was registered as a Recognized Federal Heritage Building in 1987. In 2008, Public Works and Government Services Canada announced a major rehabilitation to repurpose the structure as an office and committee space for the House of Commons. The adaptation began in 2010 and involved extensive conservation efforts to the original masonry facades and interior layouts. Alongside this, upgrades were made to the building’s structural, mechanical, electrical, security, and information technology systems. In addition, new sustainability features and improvements to the building’s overall accessibility were done with minimal impacts to its heritage elements. Completed in 2016, the rehabilitation was highly regarded, earning 11 awards for its heritage conservation approach, life-cycle improvements, architectural excellence, and sensitive adaptation.