March 29, 2005

Images courtesy CONSORTIUM DIXON JONES/TEEPLE/COLE ARCHITECTS

A view from Parliament Hill of the planned new home of the Portrait Gallery of Canada.

$44.6-million project

Conceptual plans unveiled for new gallery in Ottawa

By Patricia Williams

staff writer

The Portrait Gallery of Canada (PGC) has unveiled the long-awaited conceptual designs for its new home on Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa.

The gallery will be housed in the former United States embassy building, which originally opened in 1932 and now is designated a heritage property.

The embassy was the first such building built in Ottawa.

The building will be fully restored and adapted for its new use with a modern wrap-around addition providing a new entrance, visitor services and state-of-the art galleries.

A close-up of the entrance and courtyard.

Architects are Edward Jones of Jeremy Dixon, Edward Jones of London, Stephen Teeple of Teeple Architects Inc. of Toronto and David Cole of Cole + Associates Architects Inc. of Ottawa.

“Our approach will be to make a sophisticated, yet subtle and beautiful work of architecture,” Teeple said in a statement posted on the gallery’s Web site.

The design team will join with its government partners, PGC, Public Works and Government Services Canada and Library and Archives of Canada, to refurbish the site and make it a tailor-made home for the gallery.

“This project will allow us to safeguard this important architectural symbol,” said Public Works Minister Scott Brison.

“This building will also meet high standards of environment-friendly design and construction.”

The $44.6-million project is scheduled for completion in 2007.

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