Sunday, January 28, 2018

The Convention Centre

A couple of weeks back, on a clear, cold Sunday afternoon, I paid a visit to the Ottawa Convention Centre, on the east side of the Rideau Canal. It's otherwise called the Shaw Centre, but I prefer the former title, as I personally dislike corporate naming rights. The building has been here since 2011, having had replaced the former Ottawa Congress Centre. It consists of four levels, with promenades on each level looking out on the city, while the meeting rooms within the building go from big enough to fit thirty people to one the size of an aircraft hanger. The massive glass wall is a particular visual treat for the photographer, with its wonderful views and design. This first view looks north from the second floor.


A second view from this level looks across the Canal to the National Arts Centre.


I ascended to the third floor, where I looked at the Mackenzie King Bridge crossing the Canal. Beyond that is Confederation Park, with City Hall and the provincial courthouse in the background.


Cars were parked on display here. Within the largest space nearby, a trade show was going on. No, it wasn't an auto show. It was something else, which I'll be showing you in some posts after the beginning of the month.


Here we have a view looking towards Parliament Hill. The chairs are a regular fixture. I should really come in here sometime for a sunset view.


Here we take in a view at the south side of the government's Conference Centre. Once the main train station, it has for decades served as a meeting place for the federal government. Later this year it will house the Senate for some years. Final work is being done inside and around the building.


On the north side of the Conference Centre is the Chateau Laurier. The two buildings were built at the same time, as the hotel was meant to be a railway hotel. A tunnel still links them.


I didn't go up to the fourth floor, which is primarily used as a ballroom. This is a view coming down the escalator.


This is new since the last time I'd been in here. A canoe hangs near the first floor entrance.


Outside, that big glass wall makes for a good photo subject.


And here we have a view of the building from the other side of the Canal.

29 comments:

  1. ...a very impressive building, I dislike naming rights too.

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  2. I like a lot the picture with red chairs. Great!

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  3. What a building ... I like that huge glass facade.

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  4. And nowadays architecture is wonderful too!

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  5. You are making me want to emigrate. . . .

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  6. awesome. so cool. i bet the chance to see the difference there when it changes sun times ... such cool lights and shadows. ( ;

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  7. Hello, it is a beautiful convention center. I like the view of the building in the last photo. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and new week!

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  8. Fantastic views in every direction. It's a nice looking building.

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  9. That canoe almost looks like a stained glass window. And, wow, the sun makes a difference!

    Janis
    GDP

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  10. They can make some very fancy buildings these days. I wonder how long they will last. Will demolition be easy and they replace it with something else. Arenas seem to be easy to replace in less than 50 years.

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  11. @Tom: I find it tacky. At least this isn't a bad corporate name.

    @Francisco: it is very modern.

    @Jan: I do too.

    @Klara: true!

    @Cloudia: you have warmer winters!

    @Beth: it is a different mood on a cloudy day.

    @Marie: it certainly is.

    @Eileen: thank you.

    @Sharon: I agree.

    @Janis: it does.

    @Red: time will tell.

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  12. Oh my gosh William! This is so much more photogenic than our Convention center, a photographer's delight!

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  13. I like the large windows where you can enjoy the great view! And the canoe display is very lovely!

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  14. I agree with you about corporate naming - like the Skydome will never be the Rogers Centre to me!

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  15. A fantastic place with fantastic photographic opportunities as you have shown. I'd love to sit in one of those red chairs and watch the sun go down. And I'm sure you know I feel the same as you do about public buildings being given corporate names. That's the first step toward fascism!

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  16. I love the red Muskoka chairs best!

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  17. @Grace: it definitely is!

    @Tamago: I do as well.

    @RedPat: I agree with that.

    @Lowell: one of my friends says she expects someday to hear of the 1000 Flushes Arena.

    @Jennifer: I don't know when they placed them in there, but it was a good idea.

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  18. What a great looking Convention Centre, very impressive!

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  19. A very modern unusual design. I like it.

    I think there will be more rum than tequila.

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  20. wow!!! Love the banner pic! How cool! Nice way to stay in canoeing shape when the water is frozen over!!! I agree with you about corporate naming rights. Here in California, one of our National Parks decided to change the vendor for food in Yosemite National Park. The Food service company had claimed corporate naming rights earlier to insure their position in the park. They claimed that the name of the Ahwahnee Hotel was their property, the court eventually upheld their claim and a beautiful old hotel, built in the very early 1900's lost the right to its name. The name was changed, but Yosemite fans will forever call it the Ahwahnee.

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  21. A massive building for a massivie city.

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  22. This is such an interesting building, with great views. I'm curious to see what the not-auto-show is!

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  23. @MDP: they certainly do stand out.

    @Revrunner: it is!

    @Bill: it's quite a place.

    @Janey: ah, a different part of the tropics!

    @Jenn: it certainly is.

    @Chieftess: I imagine there'll be ice dragon boat racing this Winterlude as well. That's a shame- of all places, National Parks should be free of that kind of nonsense.

    @Mari: it's quite the building, and a wonderful design.

    @Kay: I'll have it starting on Friday. There was actually a show on in here over the weekend called Taboo, which might be a bit too raunchy to use in photo posts!

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  24. Love that last photo.

    I agree with you on naming rights. When the Rams first came to St. Louis, TWA had the naming rights. Many of us recalled the old Joan Rivers joke about calling 411 to get TWA's phone number and having to spell it for the operator. Then, when American Airlines took over TWA, Edward Jones bought naming rights to the Dome. Talk about boring! One local radio station dubbed the Dome The Ed. Now the Rams are gone and I can't even remember what they're calling the Dome now.

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    Replies
    1. The same issue happens out at the Senators' hockey arena.

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