Vibrancy and vitality are designed into every aspect of the Shenkman Arts Centre, a cultural hub and showspace for visual and performing arts in Orleans, Ontario. Its hyper-flexible facilities are adaptable to professional or amateur uses—practices or performances. Its 500-seat auditorium traces the natural slope of the hillside it sits on, integrating the structure seamlessly into its surroundings. The Centre’s front wall—a face of coloured glass—marks the first time in Ottawa a commissioned artwork also serves as architecture. As the City of Ottawa’s first LEED Silver-certified municipal building, the Centre sets a standard for environmentally responsible, forward-thinking design.

 Project highlights

• Exposed concrete, granite and tile mirror the surrounding escarpment while high, open spaces and treelike columns evoke the majesty of nature
• Strategically placed media panels give appropriate areas ‘plug-and-play’ capability
• Integration with neighbouring businesses reduces surface parking requirements by a third