Guiding Principles for the Lansdowne Transformation
Prepared by
Lansdowne Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel
January 2010
Guiding Principles for Lansdowne Transformation
The guiding principles set out in this document are for the transformation of Lansdowne from its current state and condition to become a truly unique urban place within the City of Ottawa and the capital of Canada. These principles were developed by the Lansdowne Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel, in collaboration with the National Capital Commission, Parks Canada, the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), as directed by Ottawa Council. The guiding principles provide a frame of reference for the master plan development and its various components, which include the Stadium revitalization, the new mixed-use development and the new urban park area that is the subject of an international design competition. The Panel intends for these guiding principles to be interpreted and applied in the context of their broad intentions and thrusts and not as a checklist of requirements.
The guiding principles will be outlined as follows:
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A. Capital and City Context
- Design the site to be an authentic, integrated and unique element of the fabric of the city and capital that reflects and embraces the site’s history as a significant gathering and meeting place. Lansdowne will accommodate a variety of ongoing activities and events on a year-round basis related to both capital and city events having a cultural, lifestyle and sport focus
- Design to create a place that will be part of the local and larger community and provide a unique urban experience for all users and a wide variety of visitors
- Design the site to capitalize on its unique location along the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site (capital experience) with opportunities for the public to freely access and experience the site and capitalize on its unique location along the Bank Street corridor (civic experience) as the gateway to the Glebe and Old Ottawa South
- Respect the 30-metre buffer zone as an area where great care and attention is to be given for any changes to ensure the universal values of the World Heritage site are not adversely impacted or diminished
- Design Lansdowne to become a landmark feature along the canal and QED corridor (like Dow’s lake and Confederation Park). Design the site to exhibit porosity and connectivity with its urban context (the canal, Holmwood and Bank) recognizing existing land-use patterns and circulation routes (pedestrians, cyclists and vehicular)
- Establish an “address” on all its sides
- Explore the possibility of a pedestrian bridge connection over the canal from the Lansdowne area, such as at Fifth Avenue to Old Ottawa East
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B. The Overall Site
- Design to showcase and increase public understanding of the significant places associated with this site, namely the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Aberdeen Pavilion National Historic Site of Canada
- Design to reflect the site as a public urban park with various elements including the stadium, new mixed-use buildings and other elements (sculptures, bandshells, fountains, etc) that create unique experiences and lasting memories of the place
- Design to reflect the site’s agrarian and festival roots
- Design the site to have a high quality public realm environment that is pedestrian focused
- Integrate the baseball park as part of the larger civic open space agenda for the site
- Design to be responsive to how users approaching the site (car, boat, walk, cycle) will perceive and be welcomed into the site
- Design for winter city considerations and celebration of the winter city
- Place a significant emphasis on architecture and materiality
- Place a significant emphasis on the landscape of the region
- Explore the use of a water element, either pastoral or urban, which can also accommodate stormwater management requirements for the overall site
- Ensure that a significant area in the urban park allows for events and festivals and provides and integrates enough hard surface for marshaling and staging areas (trucks, vans, cars) for these events
- Define the boundaries clearly but anticipate and allow for overlap between the urban park and OSEG in both landscape language and potential mix of program (ie. similar landscape elements, bench lighting, as well as use “restaurant in the park” or fountains in the retail) Allow for variance between the below grade boundary and the above to account for below-grade connections and infrastructure.
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C. Sustainability
- Seek a high level of sustainable design
- Pursue LEED requirements as a singular mandate (front lawn and OSEG combined)
- Transformation offers a unique opportunity to showcase sustainable design principles, achieve LEED certification, for Ottawa
- A comprehensive solution for the site with its wide variety of urban form and uses.
- Elements to be considered for site; Components include
- Sustainable site design
- Redevelopment of “brownfield”
- Reduction/removal of parking
- Stormwater conservation with innovation in quality (e.g. bio-swales) and quantity solutions
- Conservation of materials, existing buildings, resources
- Alternative energy and energy-efficient measures
- Sustainable urban parks for year-round activities
- Transportation solution, alternative to fuel-dependent vehicles
- Locally produced foods and goods
- Water conservation and water quality
- Ensure intensity of mixed use
- Opportunity to celebrate and educate residents, users, and visitors on water ―a most precious resource.
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D. The Site Components
a) Front Lawn (including Heritage Buildings and Farmers’ Market)
i) Urban Park
- Design a sustainable urban park with spaces for programming year-round activities and events and for impromptu community activities
- Acknowledge the QED as a heritage element and retain its soft landscape environment with this environment extending into the new open space.
- Design the front lawn to work with and showcase the site’s built and functional heritage
- Design the front lawn to be the door to the Rideau Canal and to be part of the Canal Capital experience. Introduce water features that will reflect the historical extension of the canal into the site and create dynamic places with water features also supporting recreational/use programming
- Work with Parks Canada towards meeting the UNESCO suggestions for improving the adjacent visual relationship to and from the canal
- Design to provide a porous entrance from the canal, extend the park experience to the canal edge, provide docking facilities within the canal and boat access to Lansdowne, and provide a pause point – a lobby to the canal from Lansdowne and from the canal to Lansdowne
- Reconsider the relationship of the QED to Lansdowne to better integrate the pedestrian realm with the canal environment and improve pedestrian links directly from the canal edge into Lansdowne, broadening opportunities for experiences along the canal
- Maintain the integrity of the existing alignment, shape and channel form of the Rideau Canal
- Provide for an interpretation element for the canal and for the Algonquin First Nation to reflect the history of the canal and the Algonquin culture and relationship with the Rideau waterway
- Acknowledge the QED as a heritage element and retain its pastoral landscaped environment with this environment extending into the open space
- Define a program of infrastructure which will enable Lansdowne to be the logical focal point for Ottawa’s many festivals
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ii) Farmers’ Market
- Design the site to showcase the farmers’ market as a key element and identifying feature of the revitalization program with various uses (craft fairs, specialty foods to support the fresh produce market) to have it as a year-round element
- Focus the farmers’ market around the heritage buildings and consider accommodating elements related to the market into some of the heritage buildings to provide a year-round presence for the market at Lansdowne
- Give consideration to the farmers’ market having a “contemporary” face that will contrast as well as make legible the historic buildings
- Design to provide for integration of the farmers’ market with the new mixed-use area and the urban park area where they interface to provide for an overall seamless urban experience for users.
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iii) Aberdeen and Horticulture
- Design so the Aberdeen is the centrepiece and focus for Lansdowne both in its physical expression and uses
- Respect the established heritage values of the Aberdeen Pavilion National Historic Site of Canada and the agreements to ensure its conservation, including enhancement of views to and from the building and appropriate uses.
- Design to provide for full year-round animation of the Aberdeen Pavilion with unique uses that provide for ongoing public access and activity. The focus for the Aberdeen is to ensure that it is the focal element of the park as a publicly accessible and highly animated feature for the revitalized Lansdowne and that any use to be introduced into the building will respect its unique construction.
- Base decisions on the future of the Horticulture Building (retention in situ vs. relocation) and potential re-use on an analysis of history of place and context and heritage objectives.
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b) New Development
- Locate new development along Bank and in the NW sector to create a unique and authentic urban mixed-use area that will support 18-hour activity and animation and that will integrate the site with its urban context to the west and north, with special attention to the Bank Street edge and Holmwood edge and to support the uses and activities in the front yard
- New development to be largely mixed use but not exclusively
- Provide for buildings that pay tribute to the historical character of Lansdowne recognizing that new buildings should be of their “own time” and avoid trying to emulate time periods and language no longer relevant
- Ensure uses to be accommodated in the new development support the creation of a unique and special place for local residents, the larger community and visitors and that they will support and compliment business in the area.
- Ensure sufficient intensity of development and mix of uses that will allow the site to be active at all times and to help incorporate the stadium as an urban element of the overall development program
- Ensure new development contributes to creating an image for Lansdowne from Bank
- Do not treat Holmwood as a buffer – allow Holmwood to be integrated with Lansdowne
- Design the Bank edge to embrace and celebrate the Bank Street Bridge
- Cluster new retail opportunities to ensure critical mass with any retail outside the critical mass being limited to small-scale uses such as a skate rental, bike-rental outlet, café or bandshell within the front lawn
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c) Stadium/Arena Revitalization
- Redefine the stadium as an urban stadium that is iconic in its image and
- Integrate the stadium into the new Lansdowne fabric (significant open space area, new development, Bank Street edge redefinition, Canal edge integration)
- Think of the stadium as part of the public space with considerable visual and physical access during and in between events
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d) Integration of Components
- Design to provide for well defined physical and functional integration between the new development/stadium and open space area that is focused on the site’s heritage buildings and farmers’ market
- Design the stadium edge along the canal (new south-side stands) and facing the park (east end field) to embrace the canal, the QED and open space environments
- Allow for the integration of functional circulation around all sides of the stadium.
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E. Programming
- Provide for flexibility in the design of the new development to provide for adaption to new uses to support economic sustainability
- Design for extensive and intensive mixed use with a significant residential element
- Design to accommodate multiple programming opportunities within the open space area and within the stadium complex for large and small programmed activities and events, impromptu activities and for the many festivals in the city
- Solicit input from festival organizers to ensure their needs are in the urban park program
- Consider having the stadium field open and integrated with the open space for community use outside programmed and scheduled events and to allow visual and physical porosity from Bank Street towards the park and canal through the stadium. Also ensure that there is enough closure in the stadium bowl to give broadcast definition and legibility to the sports it will house
- Provide both indoor and outdoor spectator and participatory sporting opportunities
- Integrate lifestyle fitness and wellness as part of the business plan for the stadium revitalization and new development
- Provide for uses in the new development that are focused on providing for connections with the community and families. Work with the sports and farmers’ market to ensure that the area is authentic. Also work to provide unique specialty uses that serve other user groups (culinary schools, chef’s market, museum related to 100-mile food, etc)
- Define uses based on key directions from user groups – city residents, tourists, sports fans, festival goers etc.
- Develop a commercial program that will increase the unique destination and tourism attributes of the site, participate in the rejuvenation of Bank Street as a traditional main street. Provide services, shops and opportunities for arts, culture and environmental awareness, and provide venues and retailing opportunities not found in the common marketplace in Ottawa.
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Lansdowne Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel
George Dark – Chair
Marianne McKenna
Rick Haldenby
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