View source for Architecture of Ottawa

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[[File:Central Ottawa October 2022.jpg|thumb|275x275px|Skyline of [[downtown Ottawa]] from above the [[Ottawa River]]. The city is a mix of different architectural styles, varying based on what era the area was developed in.]]
The '''architecture of Ottawa''' is most marked by the city's role as the [[national capital]] of Canada. This gives the city a number of monumental structures designed to represent the federal government and the nation. As a historic city, the most significant architecture in the city centre tends to be [[Gothic Revival]], [[Romanticism|Romantic]] and other [[Picturesque]] styles of architecture, with the [[Parliament Hill|Parliament Buildings]], dating from the 1850s, being an example of Gothic Revival. Other buildings in the city follow [[formalism (art)|formalistic]] and [[Functionalism (architecture)|functional]] architectural styles.  

[[Ottawa]] has always had a mix of different architectural styles, varying considerably based on what era a building or neighbourhood was constructed in. While founded in the early nineteenth century, few buildings outside of the [[Byward Market]], Ottawa's old town, survive from that era and the vast majority of the city's structures date from the twentieth century. Much of the downtown was also greatly transformed in the 1960s and 1970s, and the swath of suburbs that surround the city also date from this period. Most of the city's remaining 19th century buildings are in the [[Byward Market]], [[Parliament Hill]], [[Sandy Hill, Ottawa|Sandy Hill]], [[New Edinburgh]], and to a lesser extent in [[Centretown]]. Areas such as the Byward Market and Parliament Hill allow the city to retain a certain European character despite the dominance of modern architecture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.traveloffpath.com/forget-europe-heres-4-beautiful-cities-across-the-border-in-canada-oozing-old-world-charm/|title=Forget Europe! Here’s 4 Beautiful Cities Across The Border In Canada Oozing Old World Charm |publisher=Travel off Path |access-date=2025-02-18}}</ref>

==Urban planning==
Unlike several other national capitals, such as [[Paris]] and [[Washington, D.C.]], Ottawa was never built to a master plan. However, several commissions have played a role in determining the shape of the city. [[Colonel By]] envisioned building several grand boulevards but the difficulties of expropriation and demolition prevented this from happening.<ref>Fletcher, 54.</ref> In the late 1880s, [[Sir Wilfrid Laurier|Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier]] developed a 50-year vision of the city's future development and created the [[Ottawa Improvement Commission|Ottawa Improvement Commission (OIC)]].<ref>Fletcher, 53.</ref> The early years of the OIC under the direction of Montreal-born architect [[Frederick Todd]] saw the removal of industry along the canal,  the definition of [[Patterson Creek (Ottawa)|Patterson Creek]] and the transfer of [[Rockcliffe Park, Ontario|Rockcliffe Park]] to the federal government.<ref>Fletcher, 16.</ref> In 1913, [[Sir Robert Borden]] appointed the [[Sir Henry Holt Commission]] which was the first to state the need for a national capital region and also the removal of railway lines from the downtown core.<ref>Fletcher, 17.</ref> 
[[File:Greenbelt Ottawa.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Greenbelt (Ottawa)|Greenbelt]] is an area of protected green space within Ottawa. The Greenbelt emerged from the city's master plan in 1950.]]
Twenty years later, the [[Federal District Commission]] and [[Mackenzie King|Prime Minister Mackenzie King]] urged the federal government to acquire land, which eventually led to the creation of [[Confederation Park|Confederation Square.]] In 1939, King invited [[Jacques Gréber]] to create a master plan for the city. This plan proposed new parkways along the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers, included the idea for the [[Greenbelt (Ottawa)|Greenbelt]], and urged the need for a ceremonial route to Parliament but the plan was not approved until 1951 by the government of [[Louis St. Laurent]].<ref>Fletcher, 137.</ref> Gréber's Plan has mostly been implemented and still affects the city today.

In 1958, the [[National Capital Commission]] (NCC) replaced the Federal District Commission.<ref>Fletcher, 18.</ref> As a federal agency, the NCC worked along with were then many individual municipal governments on the Ontario and Quebec sides in planning and designing the city. It acquired the lands for the Greenbelt and in the 1960s it removed the railway tracks from downtown, making rail travel less accessible, but also opening the Rideau Canal as a scenic tourist destination. The NCC continues to have a major role in planning and does have a long range plan for how to showcase the region as a national capital, but has limited legitimacy as an unelected bureaucracy.

The streets of central Ottawa follow a grid pattern, but it is frequently disrupted by the [[Rideau River]] and [[Rideau Canal]], ensuring that few streets in most of the older neighbourhoods are very long. Outside of the core, the roads follow the modern standard of large avenues forming a grid, interspersed with a network of crescents and cul-de-sacs which create low-traffic, suburban neighbourhoods. The [[Queensway (Ottawa)|Queensway]], a major [[highway]], crosses almost all of the city from east to west, going just south of downtown. It was built in the 1960s, mostly over former railway tracks, and thus did not entail the same urban destruction as expressways in other cities. There are five road bridges, and one rail bridge, crossing over the [[Ottawa River]], four of which are in the downtown area, ensuring that much of the interprovincial traffic, including many large trucks, pass through the centre of town.

Several planning decisions have played an important role in the development of Ottawa and its architecture. One long standing rule that had a great effect on the [[Downtown Ottawa|downtown core]], was a prohibition on buildings being taller than the {{Convert|92|m}} tall [[Peace Tower]]. It was instituted to prevent the Parliament Buildings from being dwarfed by more modern structures. Therefore Ottawa's central business district does not have the towering buildings found in most other North American cities, instead having a considerable number of mid-sized towers.This rule however is relaxed outside the downtown area, resulting in tall structures across the city, such as the [[Claridge Icon]] in Little Italy.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Adam Stanley |title=Ottawa development looking up as condos go sky-high |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/toronto/ottawa-development-looking-up-as-condos-gosky-high/article37965891/ |website=theglobeandmail.com |publisher=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=15 February 2018 |access-date=1 August 2019}}</ref>

Ottawa is home to a large [[Greenbelt (Ottawa)|Greenbelt]] circling the entire urban core. It was created as an attempt to limit sprawl and encourage density, with mixed success. The Greenbelt has remained largely intact, but Ottawa's newest suburbs such as [[Kanata, Ontario|Kanata]], [[Barrhaven]], and [[Orleans, Ontario|Orleans]] have jumped over the belt. The Greenbelt is increasingly becoming a wide avenue of green between two developed areas. Prior to amalgamation in 2000 the region was divided into several communities each with its own planning guidelines and the suburbs have distinct characters. Kanata is especially notable as developer [[Bill Teron]]'s attempt to create a modern suburb embracing [[Garden city movement|garden city]] principles.

===Urban Design Review Panel===
The Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Review Panel is a commission set up by the City of Ottawa to guide and raise architectural design standards within the downtown core.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/planning/dev_review_process/guide/downtown_design_en.html |title=Downtown Urban Design Review Pilot Project |publisher=City of Ottawa |access-date=2009-12-24 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It was formed in 2005 and consists of seven architects and 3 landscape architects who review development proposals, suggest changes, and make approval recommendations. The panel is part of the city's official plan to improve the overall design standards through incentives such as awards and design competitions. But it received criticism for being ineffective. In December 2009, all seven architects on the panel resigned in protest to Ottawa City Council, stating "that they are wasting their time in a largely fruitless effort to improve architecture" and that "design doesn't matter to this pariticular council".<ref>Kate Jaimet, "''Frustrated architects dump panel''", [[Ottawa Citizen]], 2009-12-06</ref>

The panel was restructured on October 6, 2010. Ottawa's Urban Design Review Panel is now a permanent advisory panel made up of volunteer design professionals who perform a formal design review process and provide design recommendations for capital and private sector development projects that fall within the city's Design Priority Areas (no longer Downtown only). According to the panel's website, its purpose is to "enhance the City's capabilities in achieving architectural and urban design excellence."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ottawa.ca/en/planning-development-and-construction/developing-property/development-application-review-process/development-application-submission/urban-design-review-panel|title=Urban Design Review Panel |publisher=City of Ottawa |access-date=2021-08-19}}</ref>

==Institutional architecture==
===Federal government===
The presence of the federal government has shaped every facet of the city of Ottawa, and its architecture has been dramatically affected for both good and ill. Ottawa exists as a major city almost solely because it was selected to be the capital of the new nation of Canada, and the federal government remains the dominant employer in the city. Many of Ottawa's most acclaimed structures are the result of federal government projects, but the affinity for cheapness and blandness of recent government buildings has also played a central role in Ottawa's perceived architectural dullness. 
[[File:East Block and Langevin Block.jpg|thumb|left|After [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]], the [[Government of Canada|federal government]] constructed a series of monumental structures, including the [[Victorian High Gothic]] [[Parliament Hill|Parliament buildings]] (left), and the [[Second Empire Style|Second Empire-styled]] [[Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council|Langevin Block]] (right).]]
In the years after [[Canadian Confederation]], the [[Government of Canada]] constructed a series of monumental structures in Ottawa. The most important of these buildings was the [[Parliament of Canada]], unquestionably Ottawa's most famous building and one also acclaimed by architectural critics. The parliamentary complex consists of a series of [[Neo-Gothic]] structures. They are one of the world's most prominent examples of [[Victorian High Gothic]], with no attempts to ape medievalism, but rather a recombination of Gothic forms into a wholly original style of building. Early civil service buildings were built in similarly high style with the [[Second Empire Style]] [[Langevin Block]] and Baronial [[Connaught Building]] being two prominent examples. [[The Government of Canada Visitor Welcome Centre]], a built addition to the parliament buildings as one of many ongoing projects on the site, and works to combine [[Neo Gothic|Neo-gothic]] and contemporary architectural styles in a way that blends the new architecture into its historical context. 

Subsequent decades saw the federal government embrace modernism. The attitude towards government buildings also changed. In earlier eras, all government buildings were considered to be important symbols of the country, and designed to be both monumental and functional. However, by the 1960s, efficiency and cost effectiveness were the main goals of government projects. The many government structures built during this era thus tend to be models of International Style minimalism, unornamented, with no attempt at distinctiveness. Moreover, in an era of political discontent over high taxes it was even a priority that the buildings not be cheap, but also look cheap so that visitors from the regions wouldn't feel that the federal government was wasting their money in Ottawa.<ref>"Downtown showdown in the works: Federal government, city could square off over architecture." Zev Singer and Dave Rogers. ''The Ottawa Citizen.'' Jan 16, 2006. pg. D.1.</ref> In this era the federal government decided to erect many of its new buildings outside of the downtown core. Partially for political reasons, the government of Prime Minister [[Pierre Trudeau]] opted to build a series of massive federal government office towers on the Quebec side of the border, most notably the [[Place du Portage]] and [[Terrasses de la Chaudière]]. In the western part of Ottawa a cluster of government buildings were built at [[Tunney's Pasture]]. The downtown core did see a great deal of building during this era, especially after the city eased its 150-foot height restriction on office towers. Examples include the [[Department of National Defence Headquarters]] by the canal and the [[Place de Ville]] complex, built by private developer [[Robert Campeau]] but largely housing government departments. 
[[File:TunneysPasture2022.jpg|thumb|[[Tunney's Pasture]] is a cluster of government buildings in the western part of Ottawa. Most government structures built in the 1950s and 1960s were designed in a [[Minimalism|minimalist]] [[International Style (architecture)|International Style]].]]
Today the federal government has stuck with modernist simplicity for its functional buildings, but has turned again to monumental architecture for projects of national significance. Most notable are the three museums that have been built in the national capital over the last three decades. The new homes of the [[Canadian Museum of Civilization]], [[National Gallery of Canada]], and the [[Canadian War Museum]] are unique examples of postmodern architecture. All cost vast amounts of money, but they have also met with international acclaim. They also have allowed the capital to become a showcase for buildings by three of Canada's most prominent architects: [[Moshe Safdie]], [[Douglas Cardinal]], and [[Raymond Moriyama]]. The [[OPL and LAC Joint Facility]] is an ongoing project by the City of Ottawa, designed by [[Diamond Schmitt Architects|Diamond Schmitt]] and KWC Architects whose form rejects traditional rectilinear geometry. The building's design is strongly connected to the natural landscape of the LeBreton Flats Area and will hopefully add to the list of critically acclaimed architecture found in Ottawa.  

===Universities===
Ottawa's three universities, [[Carleton University]], [[Saint Paul University]] and the [[University of Ottawa]], encompass a wide variety of architectural styles.   
[[File:Tabaret Hall Ottawa 2014.jpg|thumb|left|Tabaret Hall serves as the [[University of Ottawa]]'s administrative building. Erected in 1905, the building is a [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] structure designed by [[Albert Olszewski Von Herbulis|A. Von Herbulis]].]]
The [[University of Ottawa]] (U of O) was founded in the nineteenth century, reflected architecturally by the University's buildings of that era, including [[100 Laurier]], formerly the 'Juniorat du Sacre-Coeur', a college of the University once ran by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.  It currently houses the university's Department of Visual Arts and the University Gallery.  Also notable is Tabaret Hall (erected 1905), a neoclassical building designed by [[Albert Olszewski Von Herbulis|A. Von Herbulis]], which is an Ottawa landmark and also inspired the University's logo. The architecture  of the U of O is also noted for its embrace of [[brutalism]], including Morisset Hall, a massive poured concrete building that houses the central libraries of the University.  The SITE Building completed in 1997, a highly postmodern structure that has attracted much acclaim, breaking with the University's late 20th century trend of [[modernist architecture]]. A newer project, the Desmarais building at the prominent intersection of Laurier and Nicholas, houses the Telfer School of Management and the Faculty of Arts.

Saint Paul University, an ecumenical Pontifical Catholic University which is loosely federated with the University of Ottawa, consists primarily of two buildings: Guigues Hall and Laframboise Hall.  Both buildings have been constructed in the modern style, and are accompanied by a considerable amount of landscaping, as the Saint Paul campus is located on a prime spot along the Rideau River.  The most notable building affiliated with Saint Paul University is the nearby Maison Deschatelets, a residence for religious scholars owned by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
[[File:CarletonUniversity2022.jpg|thumb|View of [[Carleton University]], with its tallest building, Dunton Hall, in the background. The original design for [[Carleton University]] aimed to project the sense of egalitarian sensibilities.]]
[[Carleton University]], founded in 1942, is located south of downtown on a verdant campus stretched between the [[Rideau Canal]] and [[Rideau River]]. It is itself home to one of Canada's premier schools of architecture. The design of Carleton's campus and buildings deliberately rejected monumentalism, focusing instead on the academic [[Quadrangle (architecture)|quadrangle]], aiming to present an egalitarian rather than elite sensibility.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://modernu.net/ |title=Modern U |publisher=Modern U |date=2011-03-15 |access-date=2011-03-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113090849/http://www.modernu.net/ |archive-date=2011-01-13 }}</ref> The University's current building projects include a new River Building adjacent to the Rideau River, which was completed in 2011. The tallest academic building in Ottawa is Carleton's [[Dunton Tower]]; completed in 1971, the international style building sits along one side of the quadrangle and is Carleton's most visible architectural landmark.

===Embassies===
Ottawa's role as the nation's capital also means that it is home to over a hundred [[diplomatic mission|foreign mission]]s. These embassies have an important role in the city's architecture. Many embassies and ambassadorial residences are located in notable heritage structures.The former U.S Embassy on 100 Wellington Street for example has held a prominent location in Canada's parliamentary precinct, and has since been reclaimed as an [[Indigenous Peoples Space]].   Many of the old mansions built by [[lumber baron]]s or early politicians now house embassies, and the foreign missions help keep many of these buildings in good condition. This is especially important in older parts of the city such as [[Sandy Hill, Ottawa|Sandy Hill]] and [[Rockcliffe Park]]. Examples include the Algerian Embassy in [[Fleck/Paterson House]], the British high commissioner residence at [[Earnscliffe]], and the High Commission of Brunei in [[Stadacona Hall]]. Those nations that choose to build a new structure to hold the embassy often incorporate local styles and motifs into their buildings, bringing added diversity to Ottawa's architecture. The new [[Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ottawa|Saudi Arabian]] and [[Embassy of Kuwait in Ottawa|Kuwaiti]] incorporate distinctly Middle Eastern design elements, while the [[Embassy of the United States in Ottawa|American embassy]] is a distinctly [[Federal style]] structure.

==Domestic architecture==
Ottawa's domestic architecture is dominated by single family homes. There are also smaller numbers of [[semi-detached]], [[rowhouse]]s, and [[apartment building]]s. Most domestic buildings are clad in brick, with small numbers covered in wood or stone. 
[[File:Algeria, Ottawa.JPG|thumb|left|[[Fleck/Paterson House]] is an example of a [[New World Queen Anne Revival architecture|Queen Anne Revival style]] residence. The residence presently serves as the [[Algeria]]n [[embassy]] to Canada.]]
Ottawa has several older neighbourhoods clustered around the downtown core, including [[the Glebe]], [[Sandy Hill, Ottawa|Sandy Hill]], [[New Edinburgh]], [[Centretown]], [[Lower Town]] and [[Old Ottawa South]]. These areas were mainly built up in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The houses in these areas tend to be in [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] or [[New World Queen Anne Revival architecture|Queen Anne Revival style]], but rarely have any conspicuous ornamentation. These are usually two- or three-storey single homes. Recent [[infill]]s in these neighbourhoods have often taken the form of townhouses. Red brick, sometimes painted other colours, is the dominant surface material. Most houses have sizable lots, with a driveway running to a [[shed]], or a small lane way running behind the buildings. In the 1920s and 1930s new styles were imported, and many houses from this era take inspiration from the [[Arts and Crafts movement|Arts and Crafts]] and [[Prairie style|Prairie]] styles.

Like most of North American, the suburbs built in the years after the Second World War were dominated by the [[ranch house]]. Areas like [[Alta Vista (Ottawa)|Alta Vista]] and the older parts of [[Nepean, Ontario|Nepean]] are dominated by these quickly built single storey houses with a [[garage (house)|garage]] attached and little overt styling. More recent suburbs have moved to larger homes, generally with two or more stories and with more ornamentation, such as [[gable]]s, [[dormer window]]s, and [[balcony|balconies]]. This [[neo-eclectic]] style dominates that rapidly growing areas outside the Greenbelt, such as Kanata and Barrhaven.
[[File:Lees Avenue apartment buildings.jpg|thumb|During the 1960s, clusters of buildings were placed in former industrial areas, including [[Lees Avenue]].]]

Beginning in the 1960s, a number of large apartment buildings were erected in Ottawa, the first of these being the Juliana on Bronson St. which was built in 1962.<ref>''Exploring Ottawa: an architectural guide to the nation's capital.'' Harold Kalman and John Roaf. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1983. pg. 15</ref> During the years after the 1960s and 1970s Ottawa embraced a decentralized strategy, and while some of these buildings are located in the core, most are spread out across different parts of the city. Clusters of buildings were placed in former industrial areas such as [[Lees Avenue]] and Hurdman. Others were erected in the suburbs that were being built in this era such as [[Britannia (Ottawa)|Britannia]] in the west and [[Heron Gate]] in the south. The towers from this era share an almost universal design, brick or concrete facades unadorned except for the large numbers of balconies given to each suite. With the general recession in the Canadian real estate market of the 1980s and early 1990s most such developments halted. In the early years of the 21st century residential high-rises have returned, mostly in the form of condominiums. Ottawa has not seen as extensive a boom in condo construction as Toronto or Vancouver, but several prominent structures have been built including the [[Minto Metropole]] and a number of towers in the [[Byward Market]] area.

The Briarcliffe section of the Rothwell Heights was a showcase for modernist domestic architecture in the early sixties, thanks to the influence of architects Walter Schreier, Brian Barkham, [[James W. Strutt: Architect|James W. Strutt]], Paul Schoeler and Matt Stankiewicz, as well as the area's proximity to the [[National Research Council (Canada)|National Research Council]], a magnet for international talent.<ref name="LeBlanc">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/article827329.ece|title='A confluence of circumstances' brought modernism to Ottawa |last=LeBlanc|first=David|date=Apr 5, 2009 |work=Globe and Mail|access-date=2009-10-11}}</ref>

New residential developments in Ottawa include nationally significant structures featuring a modern sensitivity toward energy efficiency and sustainability.  The first certified [[Passive House|Passivehaus]] building designed and built in Canada for residential use was developed by Chris Straka of Vert Design Incorporated in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Langston |first=Patrick |url=http://www.househunting.ca/ottawa/Green+Issue+Passive/4309751/story.html |title=The Green Issue: Not So Passive |publisher=Househunting.ca |date=2011-02-24 |access-date=2011-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://business.financialpost.com/2011/01/26/bootup-canadas-first-passive-house-zuckerberg-facebook-fan-page-hacked/ |title=Bootup: Canada's first 'passive' house, Zuckerberg Facebook fan page hacked &#124; FP Tech Desk &#124; Financial Post |publisher=Business.financialpost.com |date=2011-01-26 |access-date=2011-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/green-building-news/canada-s-first-residential-passivhaus-building |title=Canada's First Residential Passivhaus Building |publisher=GreenBuildingAdvisor.com |date=2011-02-16 |access-date=2011-03-20}}</ref> The duplex, constructed in [[New Edinburgh]] adjacent to the Rideau River, demonstrates the integration of modern [[sustainable architecture]] into one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods.

==Commercial and industrial architecture==
[[File:Sussex-dr-by-the-market.JPG|thumb|[[Byward Market]] is a distinctive area of Ottawa, home to dozens of small boutiques and restaurants.]]
While the economy is dominated by the federal government, and service industries that support government workers, Ottawa has had several other important industries. Before becoming the capital, [[Bytown]] was a centre of the logging industry. The lumber industry remained prominent in Ottawa until the early twentieth century. The lasting legacy in Ottawa are the mansions and buildings constructed by the lumber barons who made up much of the economic elite of early Ottawa. Most notable was [[John Rudolphus Booth]], who commissioned several prominent structures from architect [[John W.H. Watts]]. While the lumber and pulp mills disappeared from Ottawa in the early twentieth century, Hull across the river remained an important industrial centre and its waterfront was largely industrialized. Most of those factories have now disappeared, but a few remain. Including the [[E. B. Eddy Company]] plant directly across from the Parliament Buildings. Ottawa itself does today have some industrial areas, mostly clustered around the rail lines in the Cyrville and Tanglewood areas south of the core. There is virtually no [[heavy industry]], and most of the industrial buildings are warehouses serving as transshipment points for goods made elsewhere.
[[File:Kanata Research Park.JPG|thumb|left|Kanata [[science park|Research Park]] with the [[Marshes Golf Club]] in the foreground. Ottawa is home to a major [[high tech]] sector, most of whom are located in the neighbourhood of [[Kanata, Ontario|Kanata]].]] 
In recent years it has been the [[High tech|hi tech]] sector that has risen to prominence in Ottawa. Especially during the boom years of the 1990s Ottawa was often touted as "[[Silicon Valley North]]", home to such firms as [[Nortel]], [[Corel]], [[JDS Uniphase]], and [[Cognos]]. This technology sector is almost wholly based in the western part of the city, especially around Kanata. Both Nortel and JDS Uniphase opted to build large compounds on the fringe of the city, while Corel has a series of towers by the Queensway. While the downturn severely hurt this industry, it has recovered in recent years with many smaller firms occupying office space in the west end.

Surviving commercial buildings from early Ottawa can be seen in some parts of downtown, most notably the heritage area along [[Sussex Drive]] and the [[Sparks Street]] pedestrian mall. These tend to be low stone structures densely clustered together. The vast majority of Ottawa's commercial buildings are similar to those that would be found anywhere in North America. Downtown Ottawa has several commercial streets, the most important being [[Bank Street (Ottawa)|Bank Street]] the lower levels of many office towers also contain shopping areas. One distinctive area is the [[Byward Market]], home to dozens of small shops and restaurants. The city has several shopping centres, the most central and prominent being the [[Rideau Centre]]. The older suburbs each have central shopping malls, such as [[Billings Bridge Plaza]], [[Bayshore Shopping Centre]], [[Carlingwood Mall]]. In recent years the newest suburbs have been home to large collections of [[big-box store]]s rather than traditional malls, with sprawling such complexes in Kanata, Barrhaven, and South Keys.

==Architects==
Architects who have played an important role in designing Ottawa structures include:
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[George E. Bemi|George Bemi]], Ottawa Public Library Main Branch, St. Basil's Church, [former] Ottawa Congress Centre  
*[[Moses Chamberlain Edey|Moses C. Edey]], [[Aberdeen Pavilion]], [[Daly Building]]
*[[David Ewart]], [[Royal Canadian Mint]], [[Canadian Museum of Nature]], [[Connaught Building]]
*[[Thomas Fuller (architect)|Thomas Fuller]], original [[Parliament of Canada]] Centre Block
*[[Raymond Moriyama]], [[Ottawa City Hall]] and the [[Canadian War Museum]]
*[[W.E. Noffke]], [[Central Post Office (Ottawa)|Central Post Office]], [[Champagne Bath]], [[Ogilvy's]]
*[[Moshe Safdie]], the [[National Gallery of Canada]] and [[Old City Hall (Ottawa)|Old City Hall]]
*[[Thomas Seaton Scott]], [[Cartier Square Drill Hall]], Parliament's West Block
*[[Francis Conroy Sullivan]], a number of buildings inspired by [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]
*John W.H. Watts, [[Booth House (Ottawa)|Booth House]], [[Fleck/Paterson House]], [[Australia House (Ottawa)|Australia House]]
*Paul Schoeler of Schoeler & Heaton Architects, [[Public Service Alliance of Canada Building]].<ref name="Citizen">{{cite news|url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/observer/story.html?id=438d8a4b-b89e-4f7c-ac88-8b9adf0e46c1|title=Architect took risks to modernize Canada|work=Ottawa Citizen|publisher=Canwest Global|access-date=2009-10-08}}</ref>
*[[James W. Strutt|James Strutt]], Uplands Air Terminal Ottawa, Canadian Nurses Association Headquarters, LOEB Building for the Social Sciences Carleton University
{{col div end}}

==Map==
Below is a map of the National Capital Region showing the prominent buildings and structures. Click on the stars to read articles on the individual buildings.

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{{Ottawa map}}
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==See also==
{{Portal|Architecture|Ontario}}
*[[Architecture of Canada]]
*[[List of buildings in Ottawa]]
*[[List of tallest buildings in Ottawa-Gatineau]]
*[[List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa]]
*[[List of National Historic Sites of Canada in Ottawa]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
{{refbegin|}}
*Kalman, Harold and John Roaf ''Exploring Ottawa: an architectural guide to the nation's capital.'' . Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1983.
*Kalman, Harold ''A History of Canadian Architecture.'' Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1994.
*''Ottawa: a guide to heritage structures'' City of Ottawa, Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee; managing editor, Lucy Corbin. 2001
*Fletcher, Katharine. ''Capital Walks: Walking Tours of Ottawa'', Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004.{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.orsa.ca/ Ottawa Regional Society of Architects]
*[https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ottawa-ont/ Ottawa - Cityscape] in ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''
{{Ottawa}}
{{Ottawa landmarks}}
{{Architecture of North America}}

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[[Category:Architecture in Canada by city|Ottawa]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Ottawa| ]]