Online engagement kicks off for new Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada joint facility Français
OTTAWA, March 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Building off our first set of in-person engagement events, starting today and continuing until March 24, all Canadians are invited to visit Inspire555.ca to help inform how the new Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada joint facility will take shape on the site at 555 Albert Street in the heart of the National Capital.
Our world-renowned architects - Diamond Schmitt Architects and Ottawa-based KWC Architects - are looking for inspiration from Canadians to design this iconic installation that will become a must-see attraction in Ottawa when it opens in 2024.
In the first of a series of four online activities, a video will help Canadians discover the site where the new joint facility will live. Participants will be able to tell the architects how they plan to arrive at the site, what they consider to be the best viewpoints, and what they think could be the site's most interesting features and landmarks.
Ottawa residents and residents from across Canada will also be asked to provide feedback on the architects' preliminary concepts based on how they take advantage of the site and how the concepts bring to life the unique partnership of a foundational national institution and the municipal library of the Nation's Capital. It's a unique opportunity for all Canadians to help imagine a facility that will unite the richness of two great knowledge institutions.
The engagement process for the architectural design of the facility has been labeled the "Inspire555 Series," in a nod to its address, 555 Albert Street, which stands at the western edge of downtown Ottawa, a few blocks from the Parliamentary Precinct, and near Pimisi Station of the O-Train's Confederation Line.
The Inspire555 Series will include design workshops, pop-up events, expert lectures, and online activities and engagement (local and national). Continuing through 2019, there will be three additional phases of in-person and online engagement on a variety of design topics, including "Iconic Features and Sustainability," "Creating a Landmark Destination," and "Finishing Touches." A final design will be revealed at the end of 2019.
A series of meetings are also planned with local Algonquin communities, as well as with local and national Indigenous organizations. Activities include community visits, design-focused meetings and knowledge sharing events.
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.
The Inspire555 Series is the latest in an ongoing engagement program for this essential city-building project and national destination. From 2013 to 2016, more than 3,000 people provided input into the spaces and uses for a new central library. In 2016, following the decision to explore a partnership with Library and Archives Canada, the public provided input into the selection criteria for a site for the joint facility, as well as its functional programming. For more information on the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada joint facility, and the Inspire555 Series, please visit Inspire555.ca.
SOURCE Library and Archives Canada
City of Ottawa, Public Inquiries, [email protected], 311, ottawa.ca; Media Inquiries, [email protected], 613-580-2450, ottawa.ca; Ottawa Public Library, Anna Basile, [email protected], 613-580-2424 ext. 32335, www.biblioottawalibrary.ca; Library and Archives Canada, Richard Provencher, Head, Media Relations, Communications Branch, Library and Archives Canada, Government of Canada, [email protected], Tel: 613-894-7509
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