Saint Joseph's Oratory the highest building in Montreal and the biggest cathedral of Canada

The St Joseph's Oratory is the Canada's largest church, with one of the largest church domes in the world. It is the highest building in Montreal, rising more than 30 meters above Mount Royal's summit, allowing it to be seen from many kilometers away. It is the only building that violates the height restriction under the municipal building code of Montreal, which limits the height of any building, including skyscrapers, from surpassing the height of Mount Royal. The first phase of the basilica’s construction involved architects Dalbé Viau (1881–1938) and Alphonse Venne (1875–1934) who had previously done work for the Congregation. From 1914 to 1916, Viau and Venne constructed the crypt church, with seating for 1,000, which still stands today and forms the base of the basilica where the massive collection of stairs ends. Between 1924 and 1927, the crypt and building up until the roof were completed in the Renaissance Revival style. Viau and Venne had wanted the dome of the Oratory to resemble that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and to be smaller than it actually is today; however, they never had the chance to see those plans through as construction was halted with the Great Depression.The construction of his large Oratory dome lasted four years and was completed in 1941 after involving thousands of workers. Capacity 10,000 / 2,400 sitting Length 105 metres (344 ft) Width 65 metres (213 ft) Width (nave) 37 metres (121 ft) Height (max) 102 metres (335 ft) Dome 1 (double shell design) Dome height (outer) 97 metres (318 ft) (from nave floor) Dome height (inner) 60 metres (200 ft) (from nave floor) Dome dia. (outer) 39 metres (128 ft) Dome dia. (inner) 26 metres (85 ft)