Home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the B.C. Parliament Buildings can be found in the province’s capital of Victoria. Waylon Klix from SLUG (Saskatchewan LEGO User Group) felt compelled to prove true the province’s motto by capturing the timeless beauty of the Neo-Baroque building in micro-scale – a feat captured by Waylon’s use of variations of gray that seem to add a sense of history to the LEGO model.
Victoria, like much of the Southern Vancouver area, was originally primarily populated by three different aboriginal groups – the Songhees, the Sooke, and the Saanich First Nations People. In 1843, the Hudson Bay Company selected a small region known as Camosack to set up its island outpost, first known as Fort Albert, and then later as Fort Victoria. A gold rush in 1858 brought many migrants to the colony, and established it as a diverse community.
Following British Columbia joining the Dominion in 1871, Victoria was selected as the provincial capital. After meeting for many years at a series of wooden buildings known as “The Birdcages” due to their shape, the province’s parliament passed legislation to begin construction of a more permanent residence in 1893. Francis Rattenbury, a 25 year old Englishman who at the time had recently immigrated, entered the public design competition and won.
The building opened in 1898, and is composed of primarily of andesite, granite, and white marble. Located diagonally across from The Empress Hotel, one of the nation’s more prominent Railway Hotels, and facing the inner-harbour of Victoria, the building stands as a testament to the province’s beauty.
Waylon’s use of the green domes and single studs manage to capture the buildings oxidized rooftops, and the single gold stud on top of the central dome is a nice little nod to the real-life golden statue of George Vancouver.
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