Canadian War Museum

I recently went to check out the "new" Canadian War Museum. And although the exposition was interesting and informative, the building's architecture got my attention. What a beautiful building! It's very modern, minimalist and understated : perfect for a war museum.

I did a little research to find out more about the building and learned that this project was a joint venture between Moriyama & Teshima Architects from Toronto and Griffiths Rankin Cook from Ottawa. Apparently, the vision behind the concept was to create a space that would hint at the oppressive atmosphere of the battlefield by incorporating a bit of brutalism in the architecture. So there's a lot of raw concrete walls both inside and outside the building. I also like how they broke up the concrete with angled glass walls.



The lobby is very spacious and minimalist.



I love the starting room reminds me of some sort of military command center.



The best room to me was the "Regeneration Hall". It's this angular room with very a high ceiling and angled walls where plaster casts from the Canadian National Vimy Memorial are shown. When you enter this room, you can hear an ethereal sound which adds to the experience of this space. I suspect that the shape of the room affects the architectural acoustics. I wonder if it was planned that way. The architects wanted to create a physical representation of hope for the future, so they designed the window to frame the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. I think it's a very well executed room.







I have to admit, I was disappointed with the look of the washrooms. I was expecting something along the same lines as the rest of the space: Modern, rough and minimalist. A long concrete sink for example would have been nice. I don't get the green and yellow. It reminds me of public school washroom from the 70s. Too bad.



I absolutely love the exterior of the building! There's a ramp that brings one up to the green roof (apparently the largest in North America), and you have a great view of the city.





There's also a very large open space that would be ideal for a great outdoor party. I would organize a party there if I could. The place is perfect for it! I already have some ideas of where everything would go : a DJ booth, a dance floor area, a lounge, an eating area... Maybe one day...



I noticed there was some pieces furniture on one side of the roof but I don't think they are appropriate for this kind of space.



Outdoor furniture that would complement this space should be angular and minimalist, a bit like the products from Qui est Paul. The white would look awesome against the gray concrete wall.






Photos: MOOT | Qui est Paul?