Salvaged & Relocated: Fragments and Interiors of Ottawa

Ottawa’s history of architectural conservation includes striking examples of salvage and relocation, from the stained-glass windows of the former Carnegie Library incorporated into the Main Branch on Metcalfe Street, to the Rideau Convent chapel integrated into the National Gallery of Canada. These practices are increasingly reframed through the lens of the circular economy, where the reuse of building components helps reduce the environmental costs of raw material extraction, demolition waste, and landfill.

Such acts of reuse have sparked renewed interest in the concept of spolia—the re-employment of architectural fragments in new contexts. How should we understand shifting ideas of material and site-specific heritage values in this evolving landscape?

Join architect Susan Ross who will examine Ottawa-based case studies, including the Canadian War Museum’s reuse of copper from the Library of Parliament, the Ottawa International Airport’s incorporation of timber from wartime hangars, and the Ottawa Art Gallery’s staircase from the Firestone House, alongside other examples of salvage and relocation across the city.

Art and Architecture: The Vision and Legacy of Gerald Trottier and the Ottawa Public Library Project

This talk explores the symbiotic relationship between art and architecture through the work and legacy of Ottawa artist Gerald Trottier and its impact on Ottawa’s cultural landscape. Highlighting his close collaboration with architects, including Bemi Bemi & Associates and the Ottawa Public Library project, it will examine how space, form, and function unite these creative disciplines.

The presentation by Denise Trottier highlights the artist’s career, and concludes with an overview of the public art collection at the OPL, focusing specifically on Trottier’s remarkable mosaic murals and their significance within the city’s architectural and artistic heritage.