Prix du XXe siècle — 2011 Recipient | Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

Prix du XXe siècle — 2011 Recipient

Ottawa Train Station (1966)
Architect(s): 

John B. Parkin Architects (Successor Firm, NORR Limited) 

Ottawa
ON
Award Category: 
Prix du XXe siècle

One of the best known truly modernist buildings in Ottawa and an iconic structure that is spoken of with admiration by the public it serves and design professionals alike. If enduring design quality is an implied criteria for this award, then this building fully meets the criterion. While it remains a timeless modern interpretation of the “grand” rail terminal, it also reveals the purity of design of the post-war modernist period.  The station has received a number of important recognitions including the OAA’s Landmark Award of 2007 recognizing that this is one of the most architecturally important buildings in the Province of Ontario. 

Jury Comment(s): 

"The Jury recognized the iconic nature of the building, with its bold composition and exposed massive structural elements designed to make a powerful impression on arriving and departing passengers.   The Jury also recognized the enduring integrity of the design and materials, so little changed since construction despite the demands of evolving technology and the high traffic to which the building is subject."

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photos: Panda Photography, Hugh Robertson

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