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Inspire the public art and landscape for the new Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada joint facility

Registration is now open for the design workshops on Public Art and Landscape, with an emphasis on sustainability, for the new Ottawa Public Library (OPL) and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) joint facility, which is set to open in the heart of the National Capital in 2024.
At this workshop, participants will meet the artists and designers selected to bring to life the joint facility’s public art and landscape. Participants will view initial concepts for integrating art into the joint facility and take part in hands-on activities to provide inspiration to the artists from internationally renowned, Jason Bruges Studio, who were recently announced as the Artist on Design team. Participants will also meet the landscape design team from PFS Studio and share ideas on how to create a unique outdoor experience on this breathtaking site. Sustainability will be a key focus of the discussion, and participants will get the chance to offer input on the sustainable design features they would like to see in the project.

The architects and joint facility partners firmly believe that public art and the facility’s surrounding landscape are vital to creating a sustainable world-class destination in the nation’s capital.

Bring your inspiration to this exciting project! Register now at Inspire555.ca(link is external) for one of two design workshops:

Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Pellan Room, Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street

Date: Thursday, August 22, 2019
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Pellan Room, Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street

Since February, more than 2,200 people have taken part in online and in-person engagement on the new joint facility. The architects will report back on what they heard during the second phase of engagement, which looked at Spaces and Relationships, and how this has informed the development of the design so far.

The workshops are part of a year-long local and national engagement process to inspire the design of an iconic facility destined to become an attraction for all visitors to the Capital and a community gathering place. The Inspire555 engagement series includes design workshops, pop-up events, and online engagement activities to inspire this new landmark destination. In Phase 1, the architects heard the public’s thoughts on how to build and connect a landmark destination. In Phase 2, the public gave input on how the spaces and relationships should be organized inside the facility. Phase 3 is focused on public art and landscaping. Phase 4 public and online engagement will take place later this fall. Details on the themes for this workshop will be available in the coming months.

Additional meetings, design workshops and knowledge sharing events are planned with Algonquin First Nations communities, and with local urban and national Indigenous organizations.

About the new Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada joint facility

Set to open in 2024, the joint facility will become a landmark destination built on the shared values of the partner institutions. The facility will deliver a rich customer experience through the Ottawa Public Library’s Central Library and Library and Archives Canada’s public services, exhibitions and events, which showcase Canada’s heritage. The joint programming and services will make this a truly unique offering in Canada. It will be a modern, iconic facility that will respond to rapidly developing technology, growing customer expectations and changing demographics.

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