Canadian War Museum,
Montreal, Canada
Architect
|
Raymond
Moriyama of Moriyama & Teshima
Architects, in joint
venture with Alex Rankin of Griffiths
Rankin Cook Architects
|
Date Built
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Opened 2005
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Location
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1 Vimy
Place |
Description
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Canada's War Museum was founded
in 1880 and has had a number of homes over
the years. Its latest is inside this
dramatic new building in Vimy Place close
to the Ottawa River and overlooking the
Chaudier Falls. The museum's website
says that, "The theme of the
Museum’s architectural design,
‘regeneration’, evokes not only the
impact of war on the land, but also
nature’s ability to regenerate and to
accommodate the physical devastation
wrought by human conflict. A low-lying
building that merges into the
surrounding landscape, the CWM
features a gently sloping roof covered
with vegetation and copper sheathing,
as well as a rooftop Memorial Garden.
As it reaches towards the Peace Tower,
the Museum sweeps up to a height of
24.5 metres (80 feet), framing
Parliament Hill."
The architect describes the inside of
the building as austere, " ...
angled walls sharply emerge.
Concrete is raw, joints are rough.
Floors are sometimes sloped,
creating a sense of
disequilibrium. Many walls and
spaces are intentionally austere,
without distractions. Emptiness has
profound strength. The intended
effect is to encourage the thoughts,
memories, and emotions of visitors
to permeate and shape the space in a
way that is unique to each
individual."
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