The building that now houses the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia was designed by architect Herbert Elliot Gates, in cooperation with William M. Brown and the renowned Andrew Cobb. Known as the Provincial Building, it was intended as an annex to Province House, across Hollis Street. Construction of the building was completed in 1935. The building was, and continues to be, home to many provincial government offices. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia expanded in 1998 from the Old Post Office building at the corner of Hollis and George Streets to occupy several floors of the Provincial Building as well. Ondaatje Court, which separates the two buildings, was created in 1988 to replace the old single-block Cheapside Street. Cheapside was used as an outdoor market for small vendors for over a hundred years. The sandstone and granite exterior of the Provincial Building underwent significant restoration between 1995 and 2004.