The Dominion Square Building was designed to be an office block combined with retail outlets.  The retail units being accessible from the street and, unusually for the time, from an interior arcade.  The buildings principal tenant is the Montreal Gazette newspaper and their marquee adorns the St Catherine Street entrance. 


The Wikipedia entry for the building says that, “ ... From the third floor up, the facade is twice set back; however, this is not as a result of municipal regulations (only the upper most levels are so regulated), but rather aesthetic choices designed with multiple 'prestige clients' in mind. As such, the twin setbacks form a double comb shape which provides ample sunlight throughout the building while further permitting natural light to pass through the setbacks onto Sainte Catherine Street below. ....


... By doing so, the building maximizes the total amount of available rental space for comparatively small city block. Moreover, multiple offices within have several different views, and recessed corners provide additional corner offices on the 9th and 10th floors.”

The building is clad in Alabama Rockwood limestone.  A relatively new feature is an extension on the Dorchester Square end of the building that creates a protective arcade and supports a green-glass solarium.