Looking northeast at Chemistry annexes; the three smokestacks of the Power House in background.

Bio/Historical Note: The limitations of the original Chemistry Building became apparent with the massive influx of students at the end of World War II. The rise in enrollment put a strain on the resources of universities across the country. In response the federal government offered military surplus equipment and buildings to educational institutions at bargain prices. The University of Saskatchewan purchased nine surplus huts used at the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan airport at Dafoe, Saskatchewan, for $46,000 and joined them together to form Chemistry Annex One and Two. This “temporary” solution remained in place for two decades. The annexes were reconfigured in 1964-1965. The Thorvaldson Building opened on 6 June 1966. The annexes were removed by spring 1977.

Elevated view looking north at Chemistry annexes at far right.

Bio/Historical Note: The limitations of the original Chemistry Building became apparent with the massive influx of students at the end of World War II. The rise in enrollment put a strain on the resources of universities across the country. In response the federal government offered military surplus equipment and buildings to educational institutions at bargain prices. The University of Saskatchewan purchased nine surplus huts used at the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan airport at Dafoe, Saskatchewan, for $46,000 and joined them together to form Chemistry Annex One and Two. This “temporary” solution remained in place for two decades. The annexes were reconfigured in 1964-1965. The Thorvaldson Building opened on 6 June 1966. The annexes were removed by spring 1977.

Looking northeast at Chemistry annexes; the three smokestacks of the Power House at centre.

Bio/Historical Note: The limitations of the original Chemistry Building became apparent with the massive influx of students at the end of World War II. The rise in enrollment put a strain on the resources of universities across the country. In response the federal government offered military surplus equipment and buildings to educational institutions at bargain prices. The University of Saskatchewan purchased nine surplus huts used at the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan airport at Dafoe, Saskatchewan, for $46,000 and joined them together to form Chemistry Annex One and Two. This “temporary” solution remained in place for two decades. The annexes were reconfigured in 1964-1965. The Thorvaldson Building opened on 6 June 1966. The annexes were removed by spring 1977.

Aerial view facing east, view of the Administration, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry buildings and other buildings. Stock barns and fields in background.

Elevated view looking northeast over the rear of the College of Medicine Building. Administration, Physics, Chemistry and student residence buildings in background.

Looking northeast at Chemistry Building and north wing of Murray Memorial (Main) Library.

Image of people walking on pathways and flowers blooming in the Bowl. Buildings are (l to r): Murray Memorial (Main) Library, Arts, Chemistry and Physics.

Dr. Rudy Abramovitch (seated) and Dr. Jim Pepper, professors of Chemistry, working with a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer machine in the Chemistry lab.

Dr. Rudy Abramovitch (seated) and Dr. Jim Pepper, professors of Chemistry, working with a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer machine in the Chemistry lab.

Looking northwest across the Bowl at north wing of Murray Memorial (Main) Library, Arts Tower construction, and Chemistry Building. The 46th Battalion C.E.F. Memorial Stone and spruce tree at right foreground, along with snow-fencing.

Bio/Historical Note: The Arts Building was constructed in four major stages from 1958 to 1967 at a cost of $758,491. The first stage of construction began in September 1958 with the raising of the classroom wing. The classroom wing was constructed by W.C. Wells Construction, and was designed by Shore and Moffat. It was officially opened on 28 September 1959. The second phase of construction was completed in 1960. It involved the building of the first seven floors of the Arts Tower, the Arts Theatre, and a link joining the Tower to the classroom wing. The Arts Tower project was contracted to Bird Construction while design of the building was again carried out by Shore and Moffat. The Arts Tower was officially opened on 16 January 1961.The addition to the Arts Tower was constructed from 1963-1965 by Bird Construction. While the initial tower completed in 1960 had been designed to accommodate another three floors at a later date, by 1963-64 improvements in structural building techniques allowed the architectural firm of Shore and Moffat and Partners to add an eleventh floor to the building designs. The second classroom wing of the Arts Building was completed in 1967. This fourth and final phase of construction was built by W. C. Wells Construction and was again designed by the architectural firm of Shore and Moffat and Partners. The building on opening contained a gross area of finished space amounting to 82,980 square feet. In addition, 3,564 square feet of unfinished space was provided in the basement. Plans to adjoin the Addition to the planned Law-Commerce Complex were also included in the design. The building was considerably larger upon completion than initially planned, and included laboratory space as well as classrooms. On opening, the second classroom wing contained one 350-seat theatre, one 150-seat theatre, six 95 seat classrooms, six 45 seat classrooms and one 20 seat classroom as well as three departmental seminar rooms. In addition to these, four laboratory units were added to the building for Psychology, Geography, Languages and the Computation Centre. The second classroom wing was faced in tyndall limestone while the interior main corridors of the building were lined with painted concrete block. In 1974 a pedestrian connection was built to the Arts Building for $394,342. It was designed by BLM Architects, and was contracted to Poole Construction. Portions of the Arts Building, including the theatre, were renovated as part of the first phase of the Place Riel Project. This renovations were designed by D. H. Stock and Partners, and were contracted to Smith Bros. and Wilson. They were completed in 1976 for $178,080.

Looking northeast across the University Bridge towards the President's Residence, University Hospital, and Chemistry and Physics buildings. John Mitchell Building under construction; south area of College Drive and homes in foreground.

Looking north at intersection of Elliott and Bottomley streets in foreground. Batoche Trail visible at front of Chemistry Building at middle of image; Power House is second building from right at top.

The old road system is still visible, but the crescent dwindles to a path beyond the Chemistry Building, where the Canada Agriculture Research Station was the last building built according to the original plan (in 1957-1958). In time the Chemistry Building would obscure the crescent to the north and the Dental Clinic to the south. The new Campus Road entrance at Wiggins Avenue, winding towards the lower right and then bending wide round the Arts Building, was already in place. Note how the Arts Building is angled against the flow of the other buildings. The circled buildings are those recently built: Arts, Biology, and the Hardy Lab at the back of the Engineering Building.

Bio/Historical Note: Information from The Green and White, summer 1979, pg. 6.

Elevated view looking northwest from the Administration Building. Arts Tower, Thorvaldson and Physics buildings in background.

Looking east at campus buildings (l to r): Chemistry, Physics, Administration, Saskatchewan Hall and Qu'Appelle Hall. Construction in progress on the John Mitchell Building and Physical Education Gym addition.