Winning 'Block 2' design features public square, preserves heritage buildings

The upcoming redesign of an entire block of buildings across Wellington Street from Parliament Hill would bring courtyards, atriums and a new public square to downtown Ottawa while preserving heritage buildings,Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) announced Monday.

"Block 2" is sandwichedbetween Wellington andSparks streets and stretches from O'Connor Street to Metcalfe Street. The redesignincludes office space for the Senate, House of Commons andIndigenous Peoples' Space.

A jury selected by the Royal Architectural Instituteof Canada met last month to review the six short-listeddesign concepts.

The winners are the partnership between Toronto'sZeidler Architecture Inc. and Britain'sDavid Chipperfield Architects. EVOQArchitecture from Montreal, whichworked on the West Block renovations,andTwo Row Architect from Six Nations were brought in to help.

Their pitch "weaves together old and new" by repurposingexisting heritage buildings, building a new net-zero structureand working in courtyards and that new "People's Square."

"Stewardship of the land and of resources is a concept embedded in Indigenous culture. It is also a tenet of good governance and the basis of our design," Zeidler wrote on its project page.

"We chose to retain each existing heritage building, avoiding the waste and carbon vandalism of demolition. Old structures are woven together with new net-zero structures to create a diverse, characterful, yet coherent whole."

The winning team saidan atriumwill connect the five buildings closestto O'Connor Street. Itdoesn't propose widespread changes tothe south side of Sparks Street.

The statue of Terry Fox, who ran across Canada to raise money for cancer research, is to be moved to another prominent position.

"This work will transform a mix of functionally obsolete buildings into an innovative complex that will meet the needs of a 21st-century parliamentary democracy," wrote PSPC in the announcement.

The department said the next step is to sign a contract with the winners. The goal is to start construction in 18 to 24 months, or between late 2023 and the first half of 2024.

Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi said the workwill cost an estimated $430 million.