The Imperial Bank of Canada islocated in the heart of downtown and is a strong local example of Modern classicist architecture.
Built to convey presence, this 1954 building was made using superior quality materials, including several different types of marble on the interior. It was built of a steel frame, and clad with Indiana limestone and black granite on the street front façades. Built in the style of Modern Classicism, the building features restrained classical elements such as its use of symmetry and abandonment of traditional ornamentation reflected in the simple dentilated cornice, flat roof with straight raised parapets, and plain quoins on the building edges. The building was designed by the Imperial Bank's architect Col. Arthur Everett of Toronto and overseen by local architects Rule, Wynn and Rule.
The Imperial Bank of Canada opened the first bank in Edmonton at 102 Street just north of 100 Avenue in 1891. A new branch was constructed in 1908 on the current site. Eventually that bank proved too small, and plans were drawn for today's Imperial Bank of Canada building. While the final building was being erected, the bank operated out of a temporary Quonset hut across Jasper Avenue. The Imperial Bank of Canada building was purchased in 2003 by the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and has since been renovated and renamed the World Trade Centre Edmonton.