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The design for the West Block has been carefully planned to take into consideration the important heritage characteristics of this building while ensuring it will meet parliamentary needs well into the 21st centuryThe architecture team designing an addition to the West Block on Parliament Hill describes it as “both contemporary and yet respectful of the building which surrounds it.”
The design features a free-standing pavilion in the centre of the courtyard of the West Block, as well as three new underground levels. The three-storey pavilion acts as a support for a glass roof, which will cover the entire courtyard.
When the new infill is finished in 2021, it will become the temporary chamber for the House of Commons, allowing the operations of Parliament to continue uninterrupted during renovation of the Centre Block, which is expected to last five to seven years.
When work in the Centre Block is complete with its restored chamber, the space will be converted into committee rooms.
“It’s the project of a lifetime; to take a building on Parliament Hill and not only to upgrade it but to add to it,” said architect Norman Glouberman. “And to do it in a way that we think will enhance the building and return it to its initial glory, and perhaps more than its initial glory.” ….
