Work on the $ 3.9 million cover will begin later this spring, starting on the north side, according to the Public Utilities and Procurement Canada (PSPC). French means “deceive the eye”, trompe l’oeil refers to an artistic technique that attempts to mimic the three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface. The idea of ​​covering the Center Block with a large trompe l’oeil tarp — a method of concealing construction work that is popular in Europe — has been around since at least 2016, when it was introduced by Ottawa Tourism as a way to preserve the appearance of the Peace Tower. during decades of rehabilitation efforts. At the time, there were price concerns, with the National Capital Commission noting that such coverage could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ottawa Tourism issued a similar invitation in 2018, hoping to keep the “money” of the Peace Tower’s Instagrammable for future visitors to the country’s capital. Maintaining some sort of “critical icon” appearance will mean a lot to many of Ottawa’s approximately 11 million annual visitors, said Catherine Callary, vice president of destination development with the local tourism agency. “It represents the Republic of Canada. It is the setting for many of the protests and demonstrations taking place on the grass front. There are big decisions being made for the whole country,” Calari told CBC News last week. “[Tourists] I can not just come back another time or next week. This is when he is here. “This is the moment they would like to see which is perhaps the most photographed site in Ottawa.” Scaffolding surrounds the Hall of Honor during a media tour of the Center Block last summer. A tarpaulin replicating the historic Center Block exterior will soon be installed outside the building, according to the federal government. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press)

Tarps are needed anyway, says the PSPC

According to PSPC spokeswoman Michèle Larose, the federal government is spending $ 1.5 million on the wrapper, plus an additional $ 2.4 million to turn it into a trompe l’oeil. The tarpaulin will first be installed on the north façade of the Center Block, overlooking the Ottawa River, before extending around the sides and the south façade on Parliament Hill during restoration work, Larose said in a statement. The images used are based on real Center Block photos. The indicators on the Peace Tower clock will be set at 11:45, which represents the time the tower and its tower were inaugurated in 1927, he said. Tarps would be needed independently, Larose noted, to create a “climate-controlled and safe environment” for the project, “the largest and most complex restoration project in Canadian history.” The ten-year effort to renovate the Center Block – which houses the House of Commons, Senate Houses, Parliament Library and MP’s offices – involves upgrading seismic resistance, systems and building security, making them also more energy efficient. efficient and affordable. The federal government is also building a new reception center to handle the tens of thousands of tourists who visit Parliament Hill each year. Trompe l’oeil covers have been used elsewhere to preserve historic facades during renovations. Here, one covers the scaffolding during construction at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC, in 2013. (Chuck Myers / MCT via Getty Images)
As the project progresses: Masonry work on the north side has been completed by about a quarter, Larose said, and more than seven million kilograms of asbestos-containing material have been removed from inside. Excavation work for the reception center has been completed by about 65 percent, he added, with at least 27,000 rock trucks being towed. At present, PSPC has said it does not intend to install similar covers in other buildings.