Baronial Gothic In An Embassy

Doors Open is an annual event in towns and cities throughout Ontario, spread over several months. In Ottawa, the event is held on the first weekend of June, with buildings providing access to the public that normally wouldn't be accessible. I haven't been since before Covid, when the event was not able to be held, and even this year some of the sites were virtual only. I was able to get to a few places this year.

Birkett Castle is home to the Hungarian embassy, residing in the downtown core. Built in the Baronial Gothic style in 1896, it was home to Thomas Birkett, a mayor of the city. It's been in the hands of the Hungarian mission since 1994, with an annex wing added on for embassy offices. What I hadn't known until I saw the lineup at the main entrance was that this year, it was a reserved spots for entry inside scenario, so I just took shots of the exterior of the building. 

Aberdeen In The Fog

Today I have some odds and ends shots, taken at various times in recent weeks. I start with this view from early October, very early in the morning. I was out and about down at Lansdowne Park and photographed this view of the full Moon amid a slight cloud deck, taken looking west from the property towards an apartment building across the street.

A few days later I was downtown, and took this view down Elgin Street on a day with stormy skies. St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church is at left in the background.

And on another day in October while photographing fall colours, I stopped to take a shot of the Embassy of Kuwait, near the National Gallery.

Another night, passing through Lansdowne on a foggy night, I took this shot of the Aberdeen Pavilion in the mist.

Another one of those brooding October days, this one a few blocks from my home in Centretown.

When I was photographing my fall shots from the Landscapes Of Canada Gardens at the Museum of Nature, I noticed this little one on a picnic table. I think it's a yellowjacket. It was kind enough to indulge me in a photograph as opposed to stinging me.

At the end of October I was out in Westboro, and photographed these signs in store windows and outside shops.

In the first days of November I passed by a house in Centretown and noticed the statue on the porch. I came up to photograph it and noticed the little companion beside it.

This mix of faces is a sculpture along Elgin Street. The street has undergone a large infrastructure restoration project in the last couple of years, and it's standard after such an occasion for public art to be included. There are some sculptures along the street, including this one.

And to finish things off, this is Birkett Castle, built in 1896 for Thomas Birkett, the mayor of Ottawa, in the Baronial architectural style. It stands a block away from the above sculpture. Today it is home to the Hungarian embassy. If you're curious about the interior, click on the Castle in the tags below; I've been inside during Doors Open.

Birkett Castle

The Embassy of Hungary often participates in Doors Open. Set in Centretown on Metcalfe, it occupies a mansion called Birkett Castle, with the ambassador's residence in the older part of the structure, while day to day diplomatic work occupies the newer additions. It dates to 1896, done in a Baronial Gothic style, and is named for its first owner, Thomas Birkett, who was the mayor of the city at the time. Its architectural style certainly evokes the castle theme, and it is quite welcoming inside, with details that include Hungarian items and art, as well as a bust of King Stephen I.

This tulip structure was outside the front door, with insignia on it that noted that it had been painted this year. Hungarian colours and symbols are part of its decorative motif.

Birkett Castle

Birkett Castle, as it's been called from its earliest days, returned to the Doors Open circuit this year. It dates back to 1896, built on behalf of its first owner, Thomas Birkett, who was the mayor of Ottawa at the time. It is done in a Baronial Gothic style. It has served several purposes after Birkett's day, including as the Japanese embassy and the headquarters for the Canadian Boy Scouts. Since 1994, this is the embassy for Hungary.

A good deal of the interior decorating details are Hungarian, such as the maps, tapestries, china, or a bust of King Stephen I in the entrance. The woodwork in here is incredible.