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 sandwiched between Wellington and Sparks streets and stretches from O'Connor Street to Metcalfe Street. The redesign includes office space for the Senate, House of Commons and Indigenous Peoples' Space.

A jury selected by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada met last month to review the six short-listed design concepts.

The winners are the partnership between Toronto's Zeidler Architecture Inc. and Britain's David Chipperfield Architects. EVOQ Architecture from Montreal, which worked on the West Block renovations, and Two Row Architect from Six Nations were brought in to help.

Their pitch "weaves together old and new" by repurposing existing heritage buildings, building a new net-zero structure and 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 said an atrium will connect the five buildings closest to O'Connor Street. It doesn't propose widespread changes to the 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 work will cost an estimated $430 million.