Our architectural concept for the Block 2 Parliamentary Precinct Redevelopment emerged directly from our heritage approach for the site. As with many historic places, Block 2 has continuously undergone multiple redevelopments, cumulatively expressing the activities of the people who have once inhabited and owned this block of the city. The current buildings on the site represent the different strands of the history of Block 2, including large scale commercial buildings, classical governmental buildings, a series of historic banks, smaller scale commercial and retail buildings.
But the current buildings on Block 2 only represent just a miniscule sliver of the full historic significance of this land. First Nations were for thousands of years the stewards of this land. For Indigenous peoples, the land is often described as sentient, possessing its own agency, spirit, and rights that are to be respected as much as those of humans and other beings. This view is a difficult concept within Western perceptions as rocks, minerals, and water are described as inanimate objects, often thought of as resources that are to be exploited by people. Indigenous peoples have maintained an intimate relationship with the environment since time immemorial. Reliant upon their natural environment for survival, Indigenous peoples fully acknowledge and embrace their interdependence on the natural world.
First Nations were the original occupants of this land. The British Crown (later Government of Canada) and First Nations negotiated and signed treaties with the intent of delivering mutual benefits. First Nations signed as independent, self-governing nations. Despite the promise of early treaties and the mutually respectful partnerships, Indigenous peoples were targeted by colonial policies designed to exploit, assimilate and eradicate them. The creation of the dedicated Indigenous People Space (IPS) is part of the current reconciliation process in Canada. This offering is of great significance, given the proximity and position within Parliament Hill. However, we do need recognised that the IPS is constrained in between the East and West part of Block 2 and that the IPS currently exists within the former American Embassy and Bank of Commerce buildings. Both of these buildings have a history that bear little significance to Indigenous peoples.
Although the IPS space was not part of the competition site, we believe in the need of a holistic approach to its future development. The relationship of the IPS with the existing Parliamentary precinct will continue to shape the future of reconciliation between the Indigenous Peoples and Canada's colonial past.
In our design process, our consortium saw an opportunity to unlock the full potential of Block 2. By extending the IPS towards the vacant lot of the originally designated "82 East" we are able to re-dedicate actual land to the Indigenous Peoples. This extension gives greater prominence for the IPS as it is positioned on the central axis opposite central Block. In doing so, the gesture will enable a greater inclusion of the IPS within the Parliamentary
precinct.
Although we have extended this IPS within our design approach, we have refrained from designing and deciding what the addition will be destined for.
With the majority of the land on the East side added to the IPS, we are confronted with the question of how to build a prominent federal building that serves both Canadian democracy programmatically, whilst representing a contemporary idea of Canada-one that is inclusive and just for all peoples within the remaining site. We recognize the heritage of the buildings standing within the site today, and we also recognize the heritage of the Indigenous peoples and their unceded territory upon which Block 2, and all of Ottawa, occupies. An architectural response that is worthy of contemporary Canada must recognize all of these conditions and find a meaningful architectural expression.
We propose a building that floats above the existing heritage buildings, carefully navigating between their various heights and widths, while peeling back from Wellington Street to make place for the extended IPS. The roof would become a place for all Canadians. An elevated green public space that is easy accessible from both Wellington and Spark street. A place from where the public can experience the inner workings of government with a vista over the rest of Parliament Hill.
(From competitor's text)
The Jury appreciated how this design proposes a recognizable, uniform, and unifying solution that provides a coherent identity to the Block as a whole., The architectural intentions were clearly stated and apparent in the building, and there were some great strengths in the design scheme, characterized by a decision to pull the building back from Wellington Street on the East corner, by a bold construction approach, and by an expansive roof top garden.
By pulling their own intervention back behind 100 Wellington, the architects open an opportunity for the Indigenous design team to intervene on what is now left as an open plaza, on axis with the Peace tower, this however presented some uncertainties as to how the corner would ultimately be developed In addition the fact that the proposed intervention dramatically encroaches upon the Bank of Commerce building, which is also dedicated to the IPS, goes directly against the Brief's stated ambition. This decision to overlook the boundaries of the IPS site constituted an unacceptable breach of the rules of the competition.
The Jury noted the innovative approach to construction, with a strategy combining the use of a large roof structure conceived as a platform from which the building hangs. They noted however that this approach made it difficult to respect the space dedicated to the IPS, with a floating structure spanning the whole block from East to West. The construction approach also included the integration of modular prefabricated construction, in part to achieve sustainability requirements. When integrated with the need to keep certain of the heritage building and the task to meet the program requirements, this leads to offices with variable qualities, and includes many Parliamentary Office Units (POU) with Atrium views only and therefore without any direct access to natural light. The circulation on the office floors otherwise works well, with well lit corridors punctuated by the presence of atria throughout the building.
The roof garden is described as an important part of the scheme and presented as an inclusive plaza. There were questions on the pertinence of creating an accessible roof in this context, as the building directly faces the great civic space that the Parliamentary lawn offers.
The conservation approach is clear, with the new construction hanging above the heritage buildings on Sparks Street, and a decision to mainly preserve the façade and first bays of most heritage buildings present, only keeping the former US Embassy, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and the Bank of Commerce intact. However, the building appears to stand somewhat in isolation from its context and setting itself apart from heritage buildings around the block and on Confederation boulevard.
Overall, the jury found this scheme to be bold and clear in its intentions. There were some important issues to resolve, most importantly, how it would move forward in terms of a construction strategy, while respecting the integrity of the IPS and without compromising the quality of the POUs.
As a result, while the project displayed qualities that were recognized and praised by the jury, due to the above mentioned points, the perceived weaker potential for further development, and based on the relative strengths of other proposals, the project was not selected to advance to stage 2 of the competition.
(From jury report)
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