I agree, let the old US Embassy go.
It does not fit in.
We need something new there.
A national portrait Gallery does not have to begin with the old US Embassy.
A National portrait Gallery should be in Ottawa, not Calgary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitchissippi
With regards to Ottawa as a capital, I would start with the street scape opposite Parliament Hill. While Parliament Hill looks impressive looking from the city side, the city looks absolutely horrible from Parliament Hill. You can see blank faces of buildings (the ugliest being the building at the northeast corner of Sparks and O'Connor) and the bland skyline is made worse by the uncoordinated scales of the buildings. Much like a garden that is in dire need of a good pruning, some courageous decisions would have to be made as to what buildings should be kept and what should be removed to make rook for new ones that are more appropriate and pleasing to the eye.
I would let the old American Embassy go — sure it is a nice old building but its Imperial style just does not fit in. Maybe it could be taken apart and moved somewhere else  In its place, I would put a building that has the same mass and presence as the Langevin Block (not a copy but a contemporary version, much like the way the East and West Blocks are not mirror images). This would complete the "urban room" around the Parliament Hill lawn. I would give this building a public function, maybe a place where people actually learn about democracy (funny that aside from the guided tours of Parliament, there really is no place in the capital that discusses Canadian politics in depth), or at least be a place where the federal government engages the public through press releases or committee hearings. London's Portcullis House is an example of how a modern building can fit along with old gothic buildings, and function as such. |