Wellington Building

Its Beaux-Arts stateliness too long concealed by neglect and shortterm decisions, the Wellington Building has settled into its role as one of Ottawa’s finest refurbished structures.

The building at 180 Wellington, across from Parliament Hill, was constructed in 1927 for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company based on a design by the company’s chief architect, D. Everett Waid. In 1959, a modernist addition with an entrance on Sparks Street expanded its footprint.

The Crown acquired the building in 1973, but by 2010 it was a hodge-podge of mismatched carpeting, grand hallways chopped up into make-do offices, and an unsightly dropped ceiling in the magnificent heritage lobby.

A $425-million rehabilitation began in 2010, and the award-winning landmark result was unveiled in 2016.

The building – its original dignity restored, modern green features and seismic upgrades added, openness and brightness now its byword – is a delight to the eye.

Exterior

The ornate glass-andsteel canopy above the Wellington Street main entrance is a replica based in part on archival photographs of the original, which was removed and destroyed in the 1960s

Staircase & living wall

The centre of the 1950s modernist addition was blown out to create the stunning two-storey atrium off the Sparks Street public entrance. A green wall of plants infuses the space with oxygen, while the spiral glass-and-chrome staircase makes a delightful juxtaposition to the rectilinear design of the Wellington Building

Vestibule

American muralist Barry Faulkner created the dramatic ceiling mosaic in 1927 just inside the Wellington Street entrance. Consisting of almost one million glass tiles – which were painstakingly removed, cleaned, and replaced during the renovation – the Byzantinestyle mosaic presents a series of stories depicting the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company as protector and defender of health and well-being

Library

The fifth-floor multi-storey library is a hushed, studious space flooded with natural light from above. The walls are lined with wood panels and sculptural shells of copper, which was recycled from the original roof

Committee room

The 10 high-tech committee rooms are panelled in rich walnut, while the grey fabric of the chairs picks up the palette used for furniture throughout the building. Functional and comfortable, the committee rooms host a variety of meetings