Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum is a unique and historically important project, with a signature design appropriate to its purpose. Situated on Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats, on the bank of the Ottawa River, this world-class facility is a major attraction for Canadian and international visitors.

Inspired by countless acts of Canadian bravery in conflict zones around the world, Architect Raymond Moriyama created a design which blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The building features a landscaped roof -  low-maintenance, self-seeding, and fully accessible. The Memorial Hall is strategically located at the intersection of two axes. One aligns the Memorial with the Parliament Building’s Peace Tower, and the other is the solar azimuth at precisely 11:00 am on November 11 - Remembrance Day - when 11 precisely-oriented rods capture the sun’s rays at that poignant moment for Canadians, symbolizing spiritual rejuvenation and a new beginning.

The vertical transportation system includes five (5) passenger elevators and one (1) freight elevator to accommodate movement of large artifacts.

The elevator system design for this project required that special consideration be given to the site location and its geological characteristics. All elevators are of the “holeless” hydraulic type, with special design features to attain the travel distances required, within very tight overhead allowances.

The Canadian war museum is an affiliate of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and houses 440,000 ft2 of exhibit, archive and office space, as well as a 4,200 ft2 theatre.