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A PR IL 2018 | 49 Government Conference Centre RENDERINGS COURTESY DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC. Government Conference Centre by ROBIN BRUNET B y all counts, the rehabilitation of the Government Conference Centre in Ottawa was a massive project in which a host of talented trades worked at the top of their game to breathe new life into this grandiose Beaux-Arts structure. From its completion in 1912 until 1966, the building was a railway station. In 1967 it was repurposed for centenary celebrations; and then it became a temporary conference centre. Unfortunately, along with the different usages came modifications and face- lifts that weren't complementary to the original design, the most glaring example on the exterior being the east wall, which had abutted a long since demolished hotel: it was left unadorned, disfiguring the overall beauty of the building. Not only did Public Services and Procurement Canada envision the facility as an ideal fit for the Senate, in need of a home while the Centre Block on Parliament Hill undergoes a multi-year restoration, they also saw the opportunity to rehabilitate this important land- mark in the heart of the Capital. The former train station's rehabilitation would include stone masonry restoration; seismic and exterior envelope upgrades; the replacement of obsolete electrical, mechanical and life-safety systems; comprehensive renovation of interior space (which was maze-like in its complexity); the removal of outdated conference amenities added in the late 1960s, such as translation booths; the removal of hazardous materials; the expansion of the loading dock; and the introduction of sustainable design initiatives. Diamond Schmitt Architects in a joint venture with KWC Architects were hired in 2014 with a team that included heritage specialists ERA Architects to carry through the rehabilitation, and while the logistics, a complex schedule, and sequential tendering all required careful planning, Diamond Schmitt principal Martin Davidson stresses that "we chose to view this project as containing lots of fantastic opportunities. For example, the east wall was a terrific chance to create a modern facade that would complement the Beaux-Arts style. Overall, we had a chance to undo the less than sensitive interventions and reintroduce the clarity of the Beaux- Arts symmetry and the processional route through the building." Establishing flow was essential to a structure that was comprised of five separate blocks, notes Ralph Wiesbrock, principal, KWC. "When we began the project, the Government Conference Centre from north to south consisted of a five-storey main entrance block with offices and the original train courtroom; then the great waiting room with a soaring 75-foot ceiling; then a two-storey ticketing block; a vaulted concourse with coffered ceiling that would become the Senate chamber; and finally a south addition created in the 1970s." The redesign would see the main entrance block become the Senate offices and speaker suite; the waiting room would house two committee rooms, lounge, and cafeteria; the ticketing block would provide the main committee room and would serve as a gallery and public gateway to the Senate Chamber, which would be located in the concourse; and the south addition would provide a dedicated entry for senators. Ease of flow meant establishing vertical circulation, and the creation of new staircases and elevators to fulfill this objective also provided the opportunity to add corresponding sheer walls for structural strength. PCL began demolition in 2014, with the removal of interpretation booths and security stations revealing the original ornamentation. By 2016 the structure was basically a hollow shell, by which time historical rehabilitation had commenced on the iron facade and iron windows, as well as the vaulted plaster ceilings. PCL had to take special care not to damage the wall or ceiling plaster and employed special scaffolding and protection throughout the construction process. Marble elements were salvaged and reused. Many of the aspects of the project required the approval of the National Capital Commission's board. In 2016, design proposals were in approvals and the facade for the east wall had not yet been approved. Lisa Nicol, partner at structural consultant John G. Cooke & Associates Ltd., noted, "To remain on schedule we went about the work in a less traditional way, for example, completing the structural design for construction long before other designs were complete.

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