As much as it hurts to admit it, Ottawa is not world-renowned for being the focal point of art and architecture. Though we may not rival the likes of Chicago, Paris or Florence in building design or art, we have plenty of unique local gems all over our city that often go unnoticed and unappreciated. These don’t necessarily have to be massive works of architecture. They can be as subtle as an elegant brick home in the Glebe, a painted wall mural in Hintonburg, a piece of graffiti art on Slater Street, or a quiet green space along the canal.
That’s where the Hidden Gems feature comes in. The idea is to uncover and showcase the best that the city has to offer, from public art, to architecture and open space, however big or small they may be. We will be posting a new image of a fresh spot in Ottawa every week. You may or may not recognize some of these places. You may even walk past some of them every morning on the way to work without giving them so much as a second look. But that’s precisely the point. To rediscover our surroundings, and all of the awesome places in our City that are just an arms-reach away.
Kick starting the Hidden Gems of Ottawa feature is the former City Hall building on Sussex Drive. The original building was designed by John Bland and built in the late 1950’s. Large additions were later made in the 1990’s based on a design by Israeli architect Moshe Safdie (designer of the National Gallery of Canada on Sussex Drive). There is plenty of green space around the complex, and a walk along the western edge gives a great view of all the interesting geometric features used in the design. It may not be as central as the new City Hall on Elgin, but it’s still a great spot to check out and explore, for those interested in modern architecture.
For more images and content, visit the Ground Floor Blog.
