Help me find this citation?

January 4, 2017 7:16 PM

So I have this question around the history of the architect of the Banff Springs Hotel in Canada. Maybe you can help?

So, you know about the Banff Springs Hotel. And you may know that it was initially built backwards! (True story)

However, somewhere along the line, I am convinced that I saw/read/something a citation that the reason it was built backwards was that the architects' plans went out without a compass, and a compass was added by not-the-architect because his people were afraid of him belittling them for asking trivial or foolish questions.

I can find citations around it being built backwards, but I can't for the life of me find the citation for the reason why that matches this memory I have.

I thought it was maybe a Canadian Heritage Minute, but looking at the list, that probably wasn't it. Maybe something similar to that?

Am I just making the whole story up here? The memory of seeing this is really specifically detailed, which makes me think no, but as you know memory is fickle.

Help me MeFi, you're my only hope.

posted by aurynn to Society & Culture (1 answer total)

I found this timeline detailing the hotel's history and when you hover over 1887 it says: "Construction of the original wood hotel begins in the spring, lead by architecht Bruce Price. The Hotel was actually built backwards, as Van Horne did not label North, East, South or West on his blueprints." This book also details it a little bit more.
posted by modesty.blaise at 9:41 PM on January 4, 2017