Regeneration

 Raymond Moriyama was the architect who designed the Canadian War Museum, when it came time for a new location and a large expansion from its previous location. He and his family were also tied to history- they were among 22 000 Japanese-Canadians interned during World War Two. That background informs the design of the building, which very much suits the subject. There are two focal points in the building's architecture that Moriyama put into the design, one of which I photographed on this visit.

The axis of the Museum is centered with this space- Regeneration Hall. The long tall window is positioned with a direct view of Parliament Hill, a deliberate choice by Moriyama. When the building was under construction, he noted the sound of wind blowing through this space, and had it recorded. It is a haunting sound, played back in this area. Listen to it right here.

Down below are half-scale plaster casts, done by Walter Allward. He designed and led the construction of the Vimy Memorial in France, where Canadian soldiers fought a bloody battle during the First World War, doing what other allied forces could not do and capturing Vimy Ridge. France set aside the land after the war for a memorial to the men who had done so much, and all Canadian dead of that war. Allward in his design went for allegorical figures, with a tone of grief and sorrow, which are incorporated into the Memorial.

This is a model of the Memorial.

They evoke power and sadness.

This painting is of the unveiling of the Memorial. Georges Bertin Scott painted the work, which features the official party, led by Edward VIII, moving off after the ceremony.

We'll pick up here tomorrow