Construction, 1859-1916

West Block addition

A large addition was put onto the West Block in 1873-74, consisting of a wing and the monumental Mackenzie Tower. Not long after, the hill once again threatened to burst at the seams but the government was reluctant to add any more to the original buildings. They had already discovered how expensive it could be to build in the Gothic Revival style and ideas about designing office space had changed in 20 years.