Online survey now open for new Ottawa Public Library
Posted Mar 12, 2019 07:42:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Residents from Ottawa and across Canada are being 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.
Online input can be submitted starting Tuesday, and until March 24.
World-renowned architects Diamond Schmitt Architects and Ottawa-based KWC Architects are looking for inspiration to design what is expected to be an iconic installation 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 in the survey 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.
Participants 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 mesh a national institution and a municipal library.
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.
