144 Wellington | Conversion and four storey addition | Proposed

[waterloowarrior]

‘A grand space’

Closed since 2005, the former Bank of Montreal is about to get a facelift and a sparkling new addition

BY MARIA COOK, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN JANUARY 3, 2012 6:12 PM

When the monumental Bank of Montreal building was built in 1932 opposite the West Block on Parliament Hill, it did not occupy the entire site; space was left on the west side for a garden.

Later, it became a parking lot.

Now, it is slated for a four-storey-high addition to the former bank at 144 Wellington Street. And the formal banking hall in the original building is to be converted for ceremonial events and large meetings for Parliament. It will replace the Confederation Room (Room 200) of the West Block.

“It’s going to be a beautiful space that’s going to be an important part of making democracy work in Canada,” said Robert Wright, director-general of major Crown projects for the federal department of public works.

The rehabilitation of the former bank and construction of the new structure is set to start early this year. It is expected to be completed in 2015. A construction contract of $66 million was recently awarded to EllisDon Corporation.

At 31,000-square-feet, the addition will equal the size of the bank building. Although it will be four standard storeys in height, it will have only two storeys with soaring ceilings. It will serve as the main public entry off Wellington Street and the security-screening point.

The addition will also provide food service, washrooms and coatrooms for the new parliamentary facility, as well as additional meeting rooms, a loading dock and mechanical rooms.

The design of the annex, as it’s called, is still being developed by architects at NORR, a multinational company with an Ottawa office.


Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/grand+s...#ixzz1iRUIph7s



http://www.parliamenthill.gc.ca/bati...ngton-eng.html
http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/comm/ve...ph-05-eng.html

[reidjr]

Do i understand this right there will be a new building plus they will upgrade the Bank?

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by reidjr

Do i understand this right there will be a new building plus they will upgrade the Bank?

it's an addition on the west side, plus the upgrading of the existing Bank building.. there is a gap there right now between this building and the National Press Building @ 150 Wellington



Streetview
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=144+Wel...dYixYXXSKSupFQ

[Cre47]

The building apparently according to La Presse will be named the John A. MacDonald Building.

The addition will also obstruct the view of some of the National Press.

And yep the article discuss also partisan naming of buildings from both sides. Liberals naming places under Pearson and Trudeau for example and the CPC naming places from CPC people.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites...9_section_POS2

[amanfromnowhere]

BTW... Renderings for a new structure are here:
http://www.norr.com/consulting_portf...oject_ltr1.pdf

[amanfromnowhere]

Originally Posted by amanfromnowhere

BTW... Renderings for a new structure are here:
http://www.norr.com/consulting_portf...oject_ltr1.pdf

Interesting... They put Toronto as location...

[S-Man]

There's really no other city besides Toronto, right?

They should break up that one big window into three vertical panes, though.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

‘A grand space’

Closed since 2005, the former Bank of Montreal is about to get a facelift and a sparkling new addition

BY MARIA COOK, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN JANUARY 3, 2012 6:12 PM

“It’s going to be a beautiful space that’s going to be an important part of making democracy work in Canada,” said Robert Wright

It may well be a beautiful space once it's done, but what on earth does it have to do with making democracy work in Canada?

[Kitchissippi]

It will be a beautiful space that the rest of us will only get to see during Doors Open Ottawa, just like the old train station. Yay, democracy in action

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

It may well be a beautiful space once it's done, but what on earth does it have to do with making democracy work in Canada?

Space for the business of the Parliament of Canada. It's not much of a stretch guys.

[rakerman]

I don't think I would have chosen an empty glass box that barely references the adjacent Bank as a good complimentary structure.

[TMA-1]

I'm pretty impressed by the gutting going on at the building right under our wheel.





http://www.flickr.com/photos/2357560...in/photostream

[J.OT13]

I question why they needed to completly gut the Wellington building. As for the former BMO, I wish we could see a rendering of the extention.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I question why they needed to completly gut the Wellington building. As for the former BMO, I wish we could see a rendering of the extention.

There are renderings out there. You can find them on Google. If you can't find them, I saved them on my computer at work.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

There are renderings out there. You can find them on Google. If you can't find them, I saved them on my computer at work.

I Googled various things to try and find it, but I came up empty handed. If you could post that rendering or direct me to the right google search , it would be greatly appreciated.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I Googled various things to try and find it, but I came up empty handed. If you could post that rendering or direct me to the right google search , it would be greatly appreciated.

Just realized the link to the PDF with the renderings was posted by amanfromnowhere on January 4, 2012.

But here they are anyway.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Here's the link to the PDF:

http://www.norr.com/consulting_portf...oject_ltr1.pdf.

Here are the renderings:

Wow, thanks!
The concrete panels on the new addition are worrisome, but otherwise, it looks pretty good. It will bring a bit of a desperately needed modern touch to Wellington Street.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Wow, thanks!
The concrete panels on the new addition are worrisome, but otherwise, it looks pretty good. It will bring a bit of a desperately needed modern touch to Wellington Street.

I doubt they are concrete panels. It's pretty well become mandatory that all buildings along Wellington (and most of "Confederation Boulevard") are clad in real stone. The NCC subsidized the stone on 700 Sussex just to maintain this.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I doubt they are concrete panels. It's pretty well become mandatory that all buildings along Wellington (and most of "Confederation Boulevard") are clad in real stone. The NCC subsidized the stone on 700 Sussex just to maintain this.

I hope you're right.

[kevinbottawa]

This building will probably make the Government Conference Centre obsolete as a government events venue. I know a lot of the functions that used to be held in the hall in West Block are now being held in the Government Conference Centre, but the expanded BMO building is supposed to take over that role. With the amount of work the Government Conference Centre will need, perhaps the federal government will sell it to the City for public use and use this BMO building and the Ottawa Convention Centre for larger meetings and events. I'm sure they could work out a special rate with the OCC.