2008 National Urban Design Awards
Civic Design Projects
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Corktown Footbridge (Ottawa, ON) |
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 This project involved the design and construction of a new pedestrian/cycle bridge over the historic Rideau Canal in the heart of downtown Ottawa. It was commissioned by the City of Ottawa, in collaboration with Parks Canada (owners of the Canal) and the National Capital Commission (owners of the adjacent land).
For decades there has been an interest in improving pedestrian connectivity across the Rideau Canal within Ottawa's Central Area. In recent years, momentum for a new bridge connection developed due to a combination of factors including residential intensification in neighbourhoods on both sides of the canal, significant expansion of the University of Ottawa including the development of a rapid transit station on campus, and the popularity of recreational activity along the Canal corridor.
The scope of the project for the consulting team included planning, environmental assessment, public consultation, preliminary and detailed design, preparation of tender documents, and services during construction.
Jury Comments:
A simple yet eloquent statement in the urban landscape, this intervention fashions materials familiar to civil structures in a manner that fits in its environment. First and foremost, the Corktown Footbridge succeeds in linking the two communities, the University of Ottawa Campus to the desired destinations, the commuters to the rapid transit station.
As a civic design realization, the project succeeds in crafting a unique form for this pedestrian/cyclist bridge that incorporates steel members, stainless steel railings, natural stone walls, and subtle yet appropriate lighting, creating an aesthetic that is contemporary while respecting the world heritage designation of the Rideau Canal.
The jurors were impressed with the thoughtful placement of the bridge’s alignment so as to recognize the historic street grid. In placing it slightly askew rather that perpendicular to the canal, the bridge is visually linked and symbolically aligned with the East and West segments of Somerset Street. The relationship of the structure to the ground plane was recognized as a strength of the design, integrating the west approach into the existing steep embankment while creating on the east side a raised podium that compensates for the significant grade change, while providing a rest area and unique views of the canal corridor and downtown.
The Corktown Footbridge’s greatest strength is its sensitivity to the cultural landscape and heritage designation, culminating in an intervention that has already become a successful destination, perhaps one day becoming a landmark in the public realm of the Nation’s Capital.
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Jury Members >> |
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