Location: Ottawa, ON
Architect: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated
Date of Completion: 2017

OAA Design Excellence Awards Finalist

For Canada’s 150th celebrations, the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa underwent rejuvenation to reorient and open up the building to the city. The scope of work comprised three wings of public amenity and gathering spaces. Building on the original prismatic geometry, the addition is built with materials of wood, steel, glass and perforated bronze.

^{Site plan
Drawing Credit: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated}

^{Perforated bronze anodized curtain wall caps.
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

^{The white oak amphitheatre in the atrium hosts casual concerts, pre-show talks and community events.
Drawing Credit: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

^{Atrium Amphitheatre
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

 

The NAC’s transformation enlivens the edge of Confederation Square while its new atrium frames the panoramic vistas of the parliamentary precinct. The original four-stage complex was inscrutable for patrons trying to find the entrance. The new transparent lobby and public space is designed to be Ottawa’s living room, activating the central location day and night. The concert hall was reconfigured to improve sightlines, acoustics and accessibility.

^{Plan of addition (left) and wood-clad bridge spans the Atrium’s double height space (right).
Drawing Credit: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated}

The building relies on centralized heating and cooling, making much of the architectural team’s focus on strategies for the addition. Most of the new glazing is on the north side of the building, bringing the percentage of the total glazing to 35 per cent; solar gain impact is on the lesser extent. Heat recovery and occupancy sensors are employed to monitor energy use. 

^{Southam Hall: aisles were added for improved circulation and accessibility.
Drawing Credit: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

^{East-West Section through New Entry Lantern, Atrium and O’Born Room
Drawing Credit: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

^{The geometries of the National Art Centre of 1967 were derived from the aeronautical experiments of Alexander Graham Bell, Canada’s da Vinci, and inspired the tetrahedral geometries of the transparent new wings.
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

^{Atrium amphitheatre
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

^{The folding fortune teller game is a metaphor for the transformation of the NAC. The design team discovered strategies and combinations to reveal the delights of the original building and provide new meaning and reference to engage patrons.
Drawing Credit: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated
Photo Credit: doubleplace photography}

The addition is an exploration of architectural transparency, and every design decision was based on the logic of the original Brutalist structure. The texture, rigour and geometry has been reinterpreted in the addition. The entry tower enables digital displays on the transparent screen, showcasing art from around the country, reinforcing the NAC’s role as a national institution of excellence in the arts.