Architecture – Old Meets New
Looks like City Hall heritage experts are recommending the approval of Version 4 of the Chateau Laurier addition.
It leaves me upset and questioning…
Upset:
That Heritage Ottawa can be dismissed once the impression is given that they`ve been heard.
With the statement that if Heritage Ottawa is not satisfied after 3 design revisions it will never be.
Saying we are very reluctant to embrace change.
By the tone tone used by Mohammed Adam with regards the process.
By the suggestion that the only acceptable answer would have been “Copying the castle-like hotel”
That the City is pushing to accept version 4 when it feels like more could have been done. Having attended some of the Built Heritage Committee Meetings I’m not totally impressed with the process: you can talk but will you really be heard.
Odd the image for the Chateau Laurier’s Google my Business is the view from the River – the view will change the most.
Questionning:
If we in Ottawa really are conservative. I’d like to think in this case we are protecting the integrity of the Chateau Laurier. A building that sits at the intersection of Elgin, Wellington, and Rideau within Confederation Square the most prominent Square in the City.
Below a sampling of additions to historical buildings. Let us consider what has been done elsewhere. Oh and for the record I don’t like the extension of the Lord Elgin and that is typically not the recommended route. Sure it adds volume but beyond size, it doesn’t add interest.
1 Waterloo Street
Melbourne, Australia
Antwerp Port House
Zaha Hadid
Azure ROM Crystal
Toronto
Brookfield Place
Toronto
Corten-steel Box / Saarhaus
Belin, Germany
Extension Proposal for El Prado Museum
Madrid, Spain
Fahle Housetallinn
Estonia
Guggenheim Museum, NYC
By Charles Gwathmey
Hearst Magazine Building
New York
Louvre Pyramid, Paris
I.M. Pei
Moritzburg Museum
Halle, Germany
Perths New WA Museum
Australia
Shoreham Street Sheffield
Shoreham, England
Sir John A MacDonald
Ottawa
Victoria Memorial Museum Glass Tower, Ottawa
Barry Padolsky
You may also want to consult this article OttawaSmart‘s top ten additions that worked. (beware of Chateau propsal contained which is proposal 3)
Heritage Ottawa shares Andrews Waldron’s take on the addition.