The Big Dig Below The Centre Block

 I continue on with this Doors Open tour of the work site at Parliament Hill. Design sketches seen here show that the end result will look rather similar to what was before, with a modified visitor center descending from below the central stairs.

The visitor center will be modern, with lots of space before heading into tours, which will access Centre Block via the courtyards, which as part of the project will end up becoming enclosed, with glass roofs.

A video display showed more. An ambitious project, and a few years from completion, but well worth doing.

Another look into the trench.

More elements of the project.

On a nearby table, examples of future additions. When they initially built Centre Block (the second version after the 1916 fire), they left space inside for additional adornments- the work of stonemasons. Some concepts and tools are found here.

A final shot to round out this visit. I enjoyed it.

Progress Upon Parliament Hill

 My last stop for Doors Open was on Parliament Hill, where it was possible to get a look at the ongoing rehabilitation work, which is centered around Centre Block. 

The last Doors Open I had attended, the viewing area was over on the west side, but not this time.

Along the perimeter of the work area, there are numerous displays about the Hill, its architecture, and the project, which is a multi-year project in which Centre Block is undergoing rehabilitation, modernization, and other measures.

A glimpse of the trench.

I continued along, photographing the large scale photographs on the walls.

The current work uses tools old and new, from digital scanning to traditional stonemasonry.

While that work goes on, the House of Commons meets in temporary quarters in West Block, while the Senate meets over in the Government Conference Center just down the street. I really need to take a look inside both. I have been inside the Conference Center, though it's been many years.

I came to the actual viewing area on the east side. The trench below Centre Block is seeing work being done, with the building of what will be a below ground visitor center.

Design concept sketches include landscaping. We'll continue here tomorrow.

Poet Laureates And History

Continuing on with this tour inside the Library of Parliament main annex from Doors Open, here's how the building looked when it was an active bank.

More of the displays of the Parliamentary poet laureates.

This space is a wonder. Staff were placed throughout taking questions from visitors, and this is a popular place during Doors Open.

This jigsaw puzzle of the Library itself on Parliament Hill caught my eye.

More shots to round out this visit.

The Bank Turned Library

 A favourite stop during Doors Open is the Library of Parliament annex on Sparks Street, which is a block south of Parliament Hill. It is housed within this former bank. The building dates to 1924, in the Beaux-Arts style, and the former bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia, vacated in the 1980s for a nearby location. The government turned it into the main annex for the Library, which is on Parliament Hill. These days, with the Library of Parliament inaccessible due to the rehabilitation work, this place is serving for the next few years as the main branch.

The architectural details are a delight, inside and out.

When it was a bank, this would have been the manager's office. 

A bust of King Edward VII rests here.

The book stops were reason enough for this photograph.

This beautiful painting above the fireplace is The Parliamentary Library, by Anthony Batten, painted in 2020. It depicts the interior of this space, which is behind Centre Block, where most of the current work is taking place. The Library itself had work done on it years ago, and is not part of the current project, but since its primary access point is through the Centre Block, it is not being used at present, with the books and other materials being stored at annex locations around the national capital. The white statue at the heart of the painting is a statue of Queen Victoria.

I love the architecture, including the details of the woodworking.

Here we are in the main space of the interior. The contemporary infrastructure was installed in such a way as to be easily removable, with four stories of shelving at left. It actually works very well with the older architecture of the building.

Doors Open is the only time of year when the public can visit. The annex is otherwise at the disposal of Parliamentarians and their staff. 

Since 2001, there has been a program of Parliamentary poet laureates.

They include photos of each, with a selection of their poetry, in English and French.

Here we have a photograph of the main space as it appeared when it was a bank.

There was even a vault downstairs back in the day. As I understand it, the vault is still there.

More from here tomorrow.