Senate of Canada Building (2019~)

• Location: Ottawa Ontario, Canada

• Architect: Bradford Lee Gilbert, Ross and MacFarlane

• Style: Beaux-Arts

• Completed in: 1912

• Designation: Classified Federal Heritage Building

The Senate of Canada is temporarily housed in the building located in downtown Ottawa, close to Parliament Hill. The building was originally constructed as Ottawa Union Station in 1912.

Like many other union stations, the Ottawa Union Station was designed in the architectural style of Beaux-Arts originally by the New York-based architect, Bradford Lee Gilbert, then taken over by Montreal's Ross and MacFarlane (who also designed Château Laurier). The building was then used as the Government Conference Centre operated by the Government of Canada from 1966 to 2018.

A major renovation of the building took place by Toronto's Diamond Schmitt Architects to temporarily house the Senate of Canada until the Centre Block of the Parliament Hill, where the Senate was housed originally, completes its major rehabilitation work. In 2019 after six years of renovation, the Senate of Canada formally re-opened in the renovated building which includes Senate chamber, as well as some Senate offices and committee rooms.

"The Emblem of Parliament of Canada"

The Senate of Canada Building (the former Ottawa Union Station) showcases the Beaux-Arts architectural characteristics such as symmetrical façade, grand imposing colonnades and entablature.

"Symmetrical façade with Indiana limestone (the same limestone as Chateau Laurier)

"Colonnades and entablature"

The entrance hall consists of portraits of the British Monarchs and those of the Speaker of the Senate. The portrait of the Queen Victoria has been escaped from four different fires including the 1916 Parliament fire which destroyed the whole Centre Block of the Parliament.

"Portrait of Queen Victoria which survived four different fire incidents"

"Looking toward the Senate Foyer with portraits of the Speaker on both sides"

The grand staircases lead from the entrance hall to the Senate Foyer which used to be the train station's general waiting room.

"The Grand Staircases"

The Senate Foyer consists of two committee rooms cladded with a mural with hundreds of bronze panels. Those panels are punctured with small holes to depict Canadian landscapes.

"Mural on one of two committee rooms"

The Senate Foyer still has many Beaux-Arts architectural elements which are original from the era of the train station and recently restored. Those elements include vaulted ceiling grand arched window and three-stores high Corinthian columns.

"Vaulted ceiling"

"Grand arched windows and original clock from Train Station era"

"Three-storey high Corinthian columns"

"Original historic bench from Train Station era"

Moving from the Senate Foyer onto the Senate Chamber, there presents the Antechamber Door just outside of the Senate Chamber. This was the door to the antechamber of the Senate of Canada at the Centre Block and it was transferred from the Centre Block to this location. The door features the coat of arms of each province and territory of Canada.

"Antechamber Door"

The Senate Chamber, often referred to as "Red Chamber" is where the the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Canada meets to debate legislation and other important issues. The seating plan of the chamber is not divided into a government side and an opposition side like the House of Commons but into the different senator groups.

"Senate Chamber"

The Speaker's chairs and the thrones are present with the white marble Speakers' dais. The senators bow to the Speaker's chair to pay respect to the important role of the Speaker of the Senate. Two thrones at the back are only used by the monarch and its representative in Canada, the governor general. The monarch or governor general takes the throne for the ceremonies of the Royal Assent to formally approve an act of the legislature.

"The Speaker's chair at the centre front with the Royal Thrones at the back"

Those three chairs were specifically made when the Senate was relocated into this building in 2019, to match its Beaux-Arts architecture style. The previous Speaker's chair at the Centre Block was made in 1923 and used until 2019. Before 1923, each Speaker was invited to commission his own chair, including the one made for the Honourable Alexandre Lacoste in 1891.

"Speaker's chair made for the Honourable Alexandre Lacoste in 1891"

The site where the Senate chamber is located now used to be the concourse of the train station and the original shape of the coffered ceiling as well as its ornament can still be observed.

"Coffered ceiling from Train Station era"

"The Indigenous Peoples Committee Room"

Reference:

Canada’s Historic Places. (n.d.). Government Conference Centre National Historic Site of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=4305

Dezeen. (2019, March 5). Senate building of Canada renovated by Diamond Schmitt and KWC Architects. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2019/03/05/senate-building-of-canada-ottawa-diamond-schmitt-kwc-architects/

Senate of Canada. (n.d.). Senate of Canada building. Retrieved from https://sencanada.ca/en/about/scb/

Senate of Canada. (n.d.). Visiting the Senate. Visit Parliament. Retrieved from https://visit.parl.ca/sites/Visit/default/en_CA/Senate

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Senate of Canada Building. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_of_Canada_Building