Latest progress on the Centre Block project

Vaux Wall removal

To allow excavation to begin, we took apart the Vaux Wall, which was the stone retaining wall that flanked both sides of the stairway leading to the Centre Block. The Vaux Wall is named for the famous landscape architect Calvert Vaux, who also co-designed the city of New York’s Central Park. Vaux designed the plan for the public grounds on Parliament Hill in the 1870s.

We carefully labelled each stone and recorded where it lay, then took the wall apart and cleaned the pieces. The stones will be in storage until it is time to re-build the wall.

The retaining wall on Parliament Hill, known as the Vaux Wall, shown here before construction began on the Centre Block (click to view enlarged image).

Workers prepare stones from the Vaux Wall for storage (click to view enlarged image).

Watch how we carefully removed the retaining wall in front of the Centre Block (click to watch the video).

Preparing the interior of the building

We carefully removed heritage elements, such as stained glass windows; wood panelling and marble in office spaces and the linen ceiling in the House of Commons Chamber, to ensure they are safe. Then, we will remove interior finishes and bring parts of the building down to their bare bones. This step is called “demolition and abatement.”

The “demolition” refers to removing interior finishes, like floors, ceilings and walls. “Abatement” refers to identifying, segregating and disposing of any hazardous materials.

The sixth floor taken down to its bones. The ceilings, flooring, walls and plaster have all been removed. Other areas of the building with more heritage elements in them will be kept more intact (click to view enlarged image).

Work is underway throughout the building, but not all areas will be demolished or abated to the same degree. The majestic spaces in the main public areas, for example, the Senate Chamber, the House of Commons Chamber and the Hall of Honour, will receive careful attention. Important heritage and architectural elements will either be removed and stored or protected and preserved in place while construction continues around them.

Protecting heritage elements

To prepare for construction, all heritage assets were carefully removed, put into crates and then safely stored for the duration of the project. This includes:

• murals
• paintings
• chandeliers
• heritage flooring
• windows

Heritage elements that cannot be removed were covered and protected. For example, we covered an ornate staircase in the House of Commons foyer to protect it.

Photos of protecting heritage elements

Plywood protects an ornate staircase in the House of Commons foyer (click to view enlarged image).

Workers carefully dismantle the heritage chandeliers that hung in the Senate Chamber. The huge chandeliers weigh 1,542 kilograms (3,400 pounds) each. The pieces have been crated and stored (click to view enlarged image).

Workers carefully remove the stained glass windows in the Memorial Chamber (click to view enlarged image).

The ceiling of the House of Commons Chamber is decorated with painted linen. Workers carefully remove the fabric and roll it up to protect it (click to view enlarged image).

Preparing the exterior of the building

A key aspect of the Centre Block project is restoring the building’s heritage masonry. Over the years, Ottawa’s extreme weather conditions deteriorated the masonry. About 35% of the building’s 400,000 stones must be removed for repair or replacement. To do this work safely, we will install scaffolding and tarping around the building. This work is being conducted in collaboration with Parliament.

Decorative tarps

We will install decorative tarps printed with a realistic image of the Centre Block. These types of tarps are known as a “trompe l'oeil,” which translates to “trick of the eye.”  We are installing the tarps to:

• hide the visible impacts of construction activities
• protect workers against the elements such as wind, rain, and snow
• ensure visitors can continue to see the Centre Block

The image of the Peace Tower clock on the trompe l’oeil will be set to 11:45 a.m. This represents the start time of the ceremony in 1927 to inaugurate the Peace Tower.

We will begin installing the trompe l’oeil in spring 2022, starting with the north façade. We will then extend around the other façades of the building as the masonry work progresses.

Conceptual drawing of the decorative tarp that will cover the scaffolding (click to view enlarged image).

Photo of the north façade covered in scaffolding with a regular tarp. Masonry work is already underway on this section (click to view enlarged image).

A mock-up of what the trompe l’œil will look like when it's installed (click to view enlarged image).

Safeguarding the Library of Parliament

The Library of Parliament in the Centre Block was renovated from 2002 to 2006 but requires some maintenance and upgrades before reopening. Due to the extensive renovations taking place outside its doors, it will remain closed for the duration of the Centre Block project.

• Library of Parliament in the Centre Block
• Library of Parliament

While some items from its collection were relocated to Library branch locations across the Parliamentary Precinct, most of its collection is now housed in the Library’s facility at 45 Sacré-Coeur Boulevard in Gatineau, Quebec.

The branch of the Library of Parliament at 125 Sparks Street is operating as the interim main branch while the Centre Block is closed.

Once the Centre Block and the new Parliament Welcome Centre are completed, the Library in the Centre Block will reopen and the Visitor Experience Program will return to the Centre Block.

The interior of the Centre Block's Library of Parliament (click to view enlarged image).

The exterior of the Library of Parliament (click to view enlarged image).

Protecting the Centre Block from earthquakes

The Centre Block is located in an active earthquake zone. Its original structure does not provide sufficient protection against earthquakes. To meet modern seismic standards, the building needed to be made safer and more resilient.

The least expensive and most effective solution that avoids harming the building’s heritage fabric is base isolation. Base isolation involves separating the Centre Block from the Canadian Shield foundation and placing it on more than 500 base isolators, which essentially act as large shock absorbers.

We are using base isolation technology to ensure that the Centre Block and the Peace Tower can meet the required building code. They are being retrofitted to withstand a magnitude 6.0 earthquake.

How we are preparing the Centre Block to withstand earthquakes