Urban Prairie - transformation of the Plaza to grassland
Canadian Museum of Civilizations Corporation The Canadian Museum
of Civilization, designed by Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal
and inaugurated in 1989, is comprised of two pavilions, their
architecture a startling embodiment of the country’s
distinguishing geographical features. The public display wing
replicates the dramatic effect of the glaciers; the contours of
the curatorial wing symbolize the majestic Canadian Shield; and
the open Plaza simulates the vast Great Plains. The layout and
sheer size of the Plaza were planned in such a way as to
visually incorporate the Museum buildings and the Parliament
Buildings perched across the Ottawa River. However, the Plaza’s
lack of appeal had left it empty of visitors for much of the
year. To remedy the situation, we extended the Museum’s original
conceptual metaphor, bringing to life what had long remained
latent: the swaying grasses of the Prairies. The prairie
topography has been recreated through hillo