Join AJA’s Maria Somjen as talks about the History of the Museum of Nature and its Renovations.

The Victoria Memorial Museum Building (VMMB) of the Canadian Museum of Nature is a designated Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historic and architectural significance. As the first purpose built federal museum, the Victoria Museum was the most ambitious of the five buildings designed and built by David Ewart between 1900 and 1914 in response to Laurier's famous "Washington of the North" speech. Architecturally, the Victoria Museum is a Beaux Arts composition in Gothic cladding, and is the largest and most richly ornamented of Ewart's Ottawa buildings. All four façades are equally important. Seen from the south, the building reads as a castle on a gentle rise; from other quarters it is more clearly institutional.

This presentation will describe the history of the building and, in particular, the challenges and opportunities during the major renovation, which culminated in 2010.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 1:00 pm

cost: $10