David Chipperfield & Zeidler winner design (and other finalists) in Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 redevelopment contest
26/05/2022.
[Ottawa] Canada
metalocus, JAVIER ARIAS
metalocus, JAVIER ARIAS
The Government of Canada has announced the winner, David Chipperfield Architects in association with Toronto-based Zeidler Architecture, and the finalists of the international competition for the redevelopment of the Parliamentary Precinct Block 2 site in the capital of Ottawa.
The design, by David Chipperfield Architects in teamed with Zeidler Architecture, is defined by a new interconnecting garden atrium and timber-framed structures that combine with a set of sustainability concepts and dedicated two-building space for Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, to offer the country a renewed complex at the heart its national seat of power.
The design, by David Chipperfield Architects in teamed with Zeidler Architecture, is defined by a new interconnecting garden atrium and timber-framed structures that combine with a set of sustainability concepts and dedicated two-building space for Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, to offer the country a renewed complex at the heart its national seat of power.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Canada's Parliamentary Block 2 by David Chipperfield & Zeidler. Image Courtesy of Prospettica.
Second-place finalist: NEUF Architects and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Image courtesy Block 2 competition web page. Team description: “Our proposal…for the redevelopment of Block 2 uses this specific binary urban condition as a starting point and driver for design decisions… The driving consideration for the Block 2 north elevation is ensuring the primacy and dignity of the future Indigenous Peoples’ Space… The volumes are crowned with a forest landscape as a signal, at the heart of the precinct, for a greener path forward.”
Third-place finalist: Watson MacEwen Teramura Architects and Behnisch Architekten. Image courtesy Block 2 competition web page. Team description: “Our proposal for Block 2 holds that a building for transparent decision making should be equally democratic in its organization. Our design is not meant to be monumental. Rather, it offers diverse, egalitarian spaces – formal and informal, built and natural, large and small – for congregation, representation, and dialogue.”
Finalist: Diamond Schmitt Architects and BIG. Image courtesy Block 2 competition web page. Team description: "Our proposal blends the dualities of its site. It creates a dignified urban frame on Wellington Street for Parliament Hill and the Parliamentary Precinct to the north, while it bounds Ottawa’s commercial core to the south and enriches the cosmopolitan atmosphere on Sparks Street."
Finalist: Provencher Roy. Image courtesy Block 2 competition web page. Team description: "Our proposal for Block 2 seeks to instill a new national narrative rooted in this unique yet universal sense of interconnectedness, while integrating perennial Canadian values of openness, justice, and transparency. As a historic opportunity for symbolic reparation, our architectural vision for [Block2] is based on a will to restore, reconcile, and renew a shared belonging to Canada."
Finalist: Wilkinson Eyre and IDEA Inc. Image courtesy Block 2 competition web page. Team description: "Our proposal…presents a new identity embracing all the peoples of Canada through a series of buildings which do not employ the architectural motifs of empire. This new identity reflects the broad diversity of modern-day Canadians based on mutual respect, and a shared connection with nature, the seasons, Canada’s distinct regions and its unique landscapes.”
Team description: “Our proposal weaves together old and new to create a rich tapestry of past, present, and future. In the spirit of responsible stewardship, existing structures are given fresh purpose. The value of this built heritage is unlocked by a new net-zero building and public spaces that represent a bold new architectural expression of Canadian identity.”
The winning proposal was followed closely by designs from Renzo Piano Building Workshop and the Canadian firm NEUF Architects, which placed second, Watson MacEwen Teramura Architects and Behnisch Architekten which placed third, and other shortlisted entries as the team by Diamond Schmitt Architects and Bjarke Ingels Group, KWC Architects, ERA Architects, and other shortlisted entries by Provencher Roy and Wilkinson Eyre (in association with IDEA Inc.).
"The redevelopment of Block 2 will transform this mix of ageing buildings into modern, inclusive, sustainable, secure and accessible accommodations for the Parliament of Canada. I truly hope that all Canadians will be able to visit and experience the chosen design, for years to come."
Canada’s Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi.
The project is expected to commence within an 18 to 24-month timeframe.
Project description by David Chipperfield Architects
Block 2 is located immediately south of Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa. It faces the grand Gothic Revival buildings of Canada’s Parliament, defines the fourth side of the Parliamentary Lawn and marks the threshold between this symbolic civic space and the city. Bounded by Metcalfe, Wellington, O’Connor and Sparks streets, the site encompasses eleven buildings of varying size and condition with several layers of heritage designation.
The redesigned block will provide office space for the Senate and the House of Commons and will allow for the future consolidation of parliamentary accommodations, including space for the Library of Parliament. It will also include renovated retail space on the Sparks Street Mall. As a site of national importance, the project carries a responsibility not only to provide the facilities for democratic government and urban infrastructure but also to represent the values of a nation and a vision for its sustainable and inclusive future.
The Indigenous Peoples’ Space, a building not part of the redevelopment scheme, sits in the centre of the block. The project proposes a new public square adjacent to this building and on axis with the Peace Tower, an open space to promote dialogue between Parliamentarians, the Indigenous community and the wider public.
Stewardship of the land and resources is a concept embedded in Indigenous culture. It is also a tenet of good governance, sustainability and heritage conservation, and the basis for a design approach of minimal intervention and maximum retention for Block 2. Throughout the site, demolition is largely avoided, and new elements are designed for the circular economy, incorporating recycled materials such as reclaimed copper in the facade, with new materials designed for disassembly and future reuse. The development will be net zero for carbon emissions, incorporating a timber frame, highly insulated facades, and on-site renewable energy generation.
Across the block, historical structures are woven together with new low-carbon, efficient buildings to create a diverse, characterful, yet coherent whole. This is facilitated by a simple floor plan on both the east and west sides of the block. The six buildings of Block 2 East, containing offices for the Senate of Canada and two large committee rooms, are connected by communal spaces with winter gardens. The five buildings of Block 2 West, containing offices for Members of Parliament, are connected by the Garden Atrium – a covered courtyard that functions as a shared social space and acts as a thermal buffer to protect the existing buildings from the extreme Ottawa climate and provide a healthy working environment within.
More information
Architects Winners
Architects.- David Chipperfield Architects London. Executive architect.- Zeidler Architecture Inc.
Collaborators
Structural engineer.- Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
M+E.- Smith and Andersen Consulting Engineering.
Indigenous architect.- Two Row Architect.
Heritage.- EVOQ Architecture.
Sustainability.- Atelier 10 (UK), S+A Footprint (Canada).
Landscape.- Buro Bas Smets.
Compliance.- Senez Co.
Design team advisor.- Brian Boylan.
M+E.- Smith and Andersen Consulting Engineering.
Indigenous architect.- Two Row Architect.
Heritage.- EVOQ Architecture.
Sustainability.- Atelier 10 (UK), S+A Footprint (Canada).
Landscape.- Buro Bas Smets.
Compliance.- Senez Co.
Design team advisor.- Brian Boylan.
Client
Public Services and Procurement Canada.
Area
51,000m².
Dates
2021–05.2022.
Location
Block 2 is located immediately south of Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa, Canada.
Renderings
DCA and Studio Prospettica.
David Chipperfield
David Chipperfield was born in London in 1953 and studied architecture at the Kingston School of Art and the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London before working at the practices of Douglas Stephen, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster.
In 1985 he founded David Chipperfield Architects, which today has over 300 staff at its offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai.
David Chipperfield has taught and held conferences in Europe and the United States and has received honorary degrees from the universities of Kingston and Kent.
He is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and an honorary fellow of both the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Bund Deutscher Architekten (BDA). In 2009 he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and in 2010 he received a knighthood for services to architecture in the UK and Germany. In 2011 he received the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture and in 2013 the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association, while in 2021 he was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in recognition of a lifetime’s work.
In 2012 he curated the 13th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale.
Eberhard Zeidler. Zeidler Architecture
Zeidler Architecture has been creating meaningful spaces for people to connect for over 65 years, with considerable experience in master planning, urban and architectural design. The practice was founded by Eberhard Zeidler. They are a leading Canadian architectural firm that brings together the experience of more than 100 professionals, collaborating nationally across their Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria offices.
Their portfolio spans a broad range of work including residential, commercial and mixed-use properties, civic and academic buildings, healthcare and research facilities, performing arts centres, hotels and resorts, and transportation.
Eberhard Zeidler (Germany, Braunsdorf, January 11, 1926 – Canada, Toronto, January 7, 2022) was one of the last living links to the Bauhaus school and the man responsible for some of Canada’s most significant mixed-use urban developments including Ontario Place and the Eaton Centre in Toronto. He was instructed under the influence of the Bauhaus school in Weimar and the Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe. He fled East Germany and worked in the office established by Emanuel Lindner, his former professor. There, he constructed several factories and medical buildings. Zeidler subsequently immigrated to Canada in 1951.
Zeidler first joined an architectural firm with Blackwell and Craig in Peterborough, Ontario. He later relocated to Toronto in 1963 and worked for the firm became Craig, Zeidler and Strong until 1975. One of the essential elements of his early works is his employment of striking interior atrium space, which became widespread on an international level during the 1970s. Moreover, his experience in the Bauhaus school made him familiar with the technological matters in building design. These included structural and mechanical services (most notably, exposed air-handling ducts), as well as aspects that ease movement and communication. This was exemplified in the McMaster University Health Science Centre, his breakthrough project, which was meant to resemble a large construction set for children. The building utilized regular geometric building modules, coupled with glazed service and circulation towers, internally exposed steel trusses, ducts, and an automated materials delivery system.
Most of Zeidler's structures were public buildings. He rarely designed private residences, drawing up approximately 20 in his career, most notably the four-storey home in Rosedale that he constructed for his family during the late 1960s. He officially retired in 2009, but continued to go to work daily as a senior partner emeritus at the firm, now called Zeidler Partnership Architects, in Toronto. The firm also has offices in Calgary, Victoria, BC, London, Berlin, Beijing, and Abu Dhabi. He also taught at the University of Toronto as a visiting lecturer and critic, before working as an adjunct professor from 1983 to 1995.
Zeidler was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in June 1984 and invested four months later in October. He has also received the Order of Ontario that same year. He was conferred the gold medal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1986. Three years later, he was granted an honorary Doctor of Architecture by the University of Toronto.[5] Zeidler was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).
Their portfolio spans a broad range of work including residential, commercial and mixed-use properties, civic and academic buildings, healthcare and research facilities, performing arts centres, hotels and resorts, and transportation.
Eberhard Zeidler (Germany, Braunsdorf, January 11, 1926 – Canada, Toronto, January 7, 2022) was one of the last living links to the Bauhaus school and the man responsible for some of Canada’s most significant mixed-use urban developments including Ontario Place and the Eaton Centre in Toronto. He was instructed under the influence of the Bauhaus school in Weimar and the Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe. He fled East Germany and worked in the office established by Emanuel Lindner, his former professor. There, he constructed several factories and medical buildings. Zeidler subsequently immigrated to Canada in 1951.
Zeidler first joined an architectural firm with Blackwell and Craig in Peterborough, Ontario. He later relocated to Toronto in 1963 and worked for the firm became Craig, Zeidler and Strong until 1975. One of the essential elements of his early works is his employment of striking interior atrium space, which became widespread on an international level during the 1970s. Moreover, his experience in the Bauhaus school made him familiar with the technological matters in building design. These included structural and mechanical services (most notably, exposed air-handling ducts), as well as aspects that ease movement and communication. This was exemplified in the McMaster University Health Science Centre, his breakthrough project, which was meant to resemble a large construction set for children. The building utilized regular geometric building modules, coupled with glazed service and circulation towers, internally exposed steel trusses, ducts, and an automated materials delivery system.
Most of Zeidler's structures were public buildings. He rarely designed private residences, drawing up approximately 20 in his career, most notably the four-storey home in Rosedale that he constructed for his family during the late 1960s. He officially retired in 2009, but continued to go to work daily as a senior partner emeritus at the firm, now called Zeidler Partnership Architects, in Toronto. The firm also has offices in Calgary, Victoria, BC, London, Berlin, Beijing, and Abu Dhabi. He also taught at the University of Toronto as a visiting lecturer and critic, before working as an adjunct professor from 1983 to 1995.
Zeidler was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in June 1984 and invested four months later in October. He has also received the Order of Ontario that same year. He was conferred the gold medal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1986. Three years later, he was granted an honorary Doctor of Architecture by the University of Toronto.[5] Zeidler was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).
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