Video: Block 2 architectural design competition

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada)

[Drone shot circling the Peace Tower.]

[Shot of man speaking with a wood panel background.]

The parliamentary precinct is a place for all Canadians, that has an incredible strong and rich history.

[Shot of man speaking with a wood panel background.]

A design competition was really the process to draw out the best architecture that we can do on this particular site, this very loaded site.

[Shot of man speaking with a wood panel background.]

It’s a key component of the long term vision and plan for Canada’s parliamentary precinct.

[Shot of woman speaking with a mantel in the background.]

To tie it together is a huge challenge. So, the competition brings many, many ideas to the table.

[Shot of man speaking with a wood panel background.]

As soon as I learned about it, I absolutely wanted to be involved in because I think it’s a very important project for the country.

[Drone shot circling the Peace Tower.]

[Animation of words in the screen.]

(Text on screen: Block 2, Architectural Design Competition.)

[Shot of Thierry Montpetit speaking with a wood panel background.]

(Text on screen: Thierry Montpetit, Chief Architect, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada)

So, where does Block 2 fit into the Long-Term Vision Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct? The plan is a multi-year plan that addresses the entire campus holistically.

[Shot of animated view of Parliament Hill with the Block 2 building highlighted.]

(Text on screen: Block 2)

[Wide shot of the Center Block facing the Library of Parliament.]

[Shot of Thierry Montpetit speaking with a wood panel background.]

There is no more iconic site I think that defines Ottawa and probably Canada.

So, the importance of doing it right is immense and the responsibility is immense.

[Shot of Rob Wright speaking with a wood panel background.]

(Text on screen: Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch, Public Services and Procurement Canada)

Up until recently, much of the focus of the long term vision and plan was about getting to the Centre Block.

[Drone shot of the Center Block facing the Peace Tower.]

[Wide Shot of Wellington Street. Cooler fades except for the Block 2 area, highlighting the project site.]

Now that we’ve achieved that, we can pivot and turn our focus on transforming Canada’s parliamentary precinct into a modern, integrated parliamentary campus. And Block 2 is really the key engine in enabling us to be able to do that.

[Shot of Peter Ortved speaking with wood panel background.]

(Text on screen: Peter Ortved, Architect, RAIC Professional Advisor, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada)

[Wide shot of Parliament Hill model featuring one of the Block 2 designs.]

[Close up shot of one of the Block 2 models.]

[Close up shot of one of the Block 2 models.]

[Close up shot of one of the Block 2 models.]

[Close up shot of one of the Block 2 models.]

[Close up shot of one of the Block 2 models.]

Initially 12 teams were invited and now we’re down to 6 teams in stage two. Each team probably is composed of at least 50, 60 individuals of various architectural, engineering and other expertise. So, out of many ideas, you will get the best and certainly, that’s the advantage of a competition.

[Shot of three jury members looking at Block 2 design boards.]

[Shot of three jury members talking with Block 2 design boards in the background.]

[Shot of Bruce Haden speaking with a mantel in the background.]

(Text on screen: Bruce Haden, Jury Chair, Architect, Urban Designer)

One of the important and distinctive things about this competition is it’s also open to many international competitors.

And, I think it’s absolutely a sign of cultural confidence, not of cultural weaknesses, that we are saying our Canadian firms can absolutely compete with the best of the world. And, we want to invite the best in the world to help contribute to Canada.

[Shot of three jury members reviewing Block 2 design boards.]

[Shot of Anne Mcllroy speaking with a mantel in the background.]

(Text on screen: Anne Mcllroy, Jury Co-Chair, Architect, Urban Designer)

[Shot of three jury members reviewing a Block 2 model.]

[Close up shot of woman jury member reviewing a Block 2 model.]

Because it is an international project we’ve had an opportunity to witness these teams come together in a pandemic and work together over a year’s period of time and come up with, I think, truly original and complex and interesting work.

[Shot of Anne Mcllroy speaking with a mantel in the background.]

I do have confidence that the winning scheme will be something that will bring great value to this block.

[Shot of Peter Ortved speaking with wood panel background.]

[Shot of two jury members discussing Block 2 with the Center Block in the background outside a window.]

[Shot of jury members discussing Block 2 with the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in the background.]

It’s true that many of the teams involved, larger international firms or Canadian firms that were teamed up with smaller Canadian firms, that has several advantages, because it brings a broader range of views and expertise into a project.

[Shot of Bruce Haden speaking with a mantel in the background.]

[Shot of jury posing for a group photo in front of the Center Block.]

I think our role as a jury is to get multiple different view points and bring those into a consolidated consensus, to ultimately pick the right scheme for all of us.

[Shot of Anne Mcllroy speaking with a mantel in the background.]

So, we have had the great fortune as part of this jury process, to have technical experts. Experts that have spoken to heritage, sustainability, accessibility and inclusion. These are all very important lenses by which to view and understand each of the projects.

[Shot of Peter Ortved speaking with a wood panel background.]

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada is a national body that represents architects across Canada.

[Shot of jury member addressing other jury members.]

[Shot of jury members listening to a presentation.]

[Close up shot of Block 2 Models with jury members working in the background.]

[Shot of jury members collaborating.]

[Shot of two jury members reviewing Block 2 design boards.]

During competition, we are ensuring that the competitors are all treated fairly, the questions are answered properly and that the whole process is conducted with transparency and integrity.

[Shot of a Bruce Haden speaking with a mantel in the background.]

Because it is a more visible process, inherently it will be open to more criticism and challenges. And yet, you can’t have one without the other. You can’t have visible excellence without the possibility of visible criticism.

[Shot of the Center Block with the river in the foreground.]

[Shot of Peter Ortved speaking with a wood panel background.]

The site is of national importance in the parliamentary precinct and certainly I knew that there would be great deal of interest from Canadian architects and from international architects to be involved.

[Shot of Bruce Haden speaking with a mantel in the background.]

[Shot of jury members reviewing Block 2 design boards.]

One of my hopes of this competition, is this will spark a broader conversation in the public about architecture in Canada. We have a really very strong architectural community. I don’t always think it gets the same level of public attention and dialogue that it deserves.

[Shot of Anne Mcllroy speaking with a mantel in the background.]

[Shot of jury members reviewing Block 2 design boards.]

[Close up shot of jury member reviewing Block 2 design board.]

[Shot of three jury members reviewing Block 2 models.]

I think this is just one of the most truly relevant projects that I have been involved with in my professional career and I’m not sure that it could be surpassed at this point. So, to be able to be part of this, to be learning, to be understanding more than we did when we came into it, at a time where it has been challenging to bring people together, has been pretty fantastic.

[Shot of Rob Wright speaking with a wood panel background.]

It’s great to see members of the team get the satisfaction of realizing objectives that they’ve worked for over a decade to get to.

[Shot of Thierry Montpetit speaking with a wood panel background.]

I’m very proud of what was realized. Proud to be able to advance work that is meaningful in this city, in this capital, this country makes me immensely happy.

[Shot of Rob Wright speaking with a wood panel background.]

[Shot of animated fly over of Wellington Street and the Block 2 area.]

[Wide shot of Wellington Street panning across the Block 2 area.]

[Wide shot of the Center Block with the river in the foreground.]

We’re creating tangible outcomes for parliament and for Canada and we’re doing this in partnership with parliament and increasingly in partnership with Canadians. And, you know, I find that extremely rewarding to be in some small way, you know, creating something that will stand for the next century and beyond.

[Animation of words in the screen.]

(Text on screen: Block 2, Architectural Design Competition)

(Text on screen: This video was produced in accordance with public health guidelines in place at the time of recording.)

(Text on screen: Check us out: facebook.com/PSPC.SPAC, instagram.com/pspc_spac, twitter.com/pspc_spac, youtube.com/PWGSCanada)

[Music stops]

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video