This three-storey brick building on the Fort Garry Campus of the University of Manitoba was designed by architects A. A. Stoughton and Gilbert Parfitt, and built by the Claydon Brothers Construction Company betwen 1931 and 1932 to house teaching and research in the Arts. It was the first building on campus to depart from the red-brick Georgian architectural style that was prevalent in the 1930s. Stoughton and his students drew up the construction plans that were influenced by the Collegiate Gothic style, and used Manitoba limestone for its exterior with marble for the interior.
It was later renamed the Tier Building to commemorate professor William Tier.
Arts Building (July 1933)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, George Harris Fonds, Acc. 1979-141, P7447, Album 4, Page 22.
Arts Building (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2021-0106
Postcard view of the Arts Building (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2017-0073
Tier Building (January 2021)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Tier Building (April 2021)
Source: George Penner
Tier Building (April 2025)
Source: Milan Lukes
Hallway in Tier Building (April 2025)
Source: Milan LukesSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.80920, W97.13109
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Arthur Alexander Stoughton (1867-1955)
Memorable Manitobans: Gilbert C. Parfitt (1886-1966)
Manitoba Business: Claydon Brothers Construction Company / Claydon Construction Limited
Memorable Manitobans: Hubert A. Garnier (1903-1987)
Memorable Manitobans: William Tier (1869-1939)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Agricultural College / University of Manitoba (Fort Garry Campus, Winnipeg)
“Claydon Co. receive contract for Arts Building,” The Manitoban, 7 October 1930, page 1.
We thank Rose Kuzina, George Penner, and Milan Lukes for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 5 May 2025
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