531 Sussex Drive - The Sussex Contemporary - Integrated Project Dossier (2017)

The Sussex Contemporary, located at 531 Sussex Drive in the Byward Market of downtown Ottawa, has been a part of the Ottawa core since 1852 when it was constructed. Originally developed as a hardware and supply store, the building remains a key component in the Byward courtyard composition functioning as an Art Gallery. In 1964 the NCC acquired the block as part of its “mile of history” initiative to create a harmonious streetscape between Parliament Hill and Rideau Hall. Unfortunately, the building suffered from a devastating fire in 1980. Afterwards, it was reimagined with the history of the confederation-era architecture in mind to become what it is today. Both a wonderful example of the late 19th-century architecture at the time and interspersed elements of the Italianate and Second Empire styles, the building has managed to hold true to its history while reflecting the progression of society over time. To this day the original 1870’s façade, brick retaining wall and mansard roof has been preserved as a part of Ottawa’s rich history and act as key character-defining elements of the building and its history. In essence, the building itself is not historically significant from defining events or a critical example of a significant architectural style, rather, the site at 531 Sussex Dr represents a thread from an overarching tapestry that reflects the historical progression of the Byward Market and Ottawa core as a whole. The contextual significance of the building is unquestionable and essential to the historical preservation of the Byward Courtyard. This project focused on recording the elements that make up the Sussex Contemporary at 531 Sussex Dr. Most of the building was recorded, however, the main floor was the focus of the project. This is the Integrated Project Dossier compiled by a group of undergraduate students of the Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Program (Engineers and architects) at Carleton University for the CIVE3207 (ARCN4100) Historic Site Recording and Assessment course in 2017.坐落于渥太华市中心拜沃德市场（Byward Market）萨塞克斯大道531号的萨塞克斯当代艺术馆（Sussex Contemporary），自1852年始建以来便一直是渥太华核心城区的组成部分。该建筑最初为五金用品商店，如今作为美术馆仍是拜沃德庭院街区的核心组成部分之一。1964年，国家首都委员会（NCC）收购了该地块，作为其“历史之英里”（mile of history）倡议的组成部分，旨在打造议会山（Parliament Hill）与里多厅（Rideau Hall）之间和谐统一的街景风貌。不幸的是，该建筑在1980年遭遇了一场毁灭性火灾。此后，设计团队以联邦时代建筑的历史风貌为蓝本对其进行重建，使其成为如今的样貌。该建筑既是19世纪晚期建筑的优秀范例，同时融合了意大利古典复兴式（Italianate）与第二帝国式（Second Empire）的建筑元素，既恪守了其历史脉络，又体现了时代变迁下的社会发展历程。时至今日，建筑原有的1870年代外立面、砖石挡土墙与曼萨尔屋顶（mansard roof）均得以保留，作为渥太华厚重历史的一部分，成为该建筑及其历史的核心特征界定元素。本质而言，该建筑本身并未因重大历史事件或代表性建筑风格而具备极高的历史价值，但其所在的萨塞克斯大道531号地块，却如同一幅宏大历史织锦中的一缕丝线，完整展现了拜沃德市场与渥太华核心城区整体的历史演进脉络。该建筑的文脉历史价值毋庸置疑，亦是拜沃德庭院历史保护工作中不可或缺的组成部分。本项目旨在对萨塞克斯大道531号萨塞克斯当代艺术馆的各项构成元素进行记录。项目覆盖了建筑的大部分区域，其中以一层为核心记录重点。本数据集为卡尔顿大学（Carleton University）建筑保护与可持续发展专业（工程师与建筑师培养方向）的本科生团队，于2017年修读CIVE3207（ARCN4100）《历史遗址记录与评估》课程时编制的综合项目档案。