Perception: Perception ~ trompe l’oeil ~ trick the eyes

Caption

Perception ~ trompe l’oeil ~ trick the eyes

The Parliament Buildings in Ottawa are undergoing a massive architectural, art conservation and building rehabilitation program to bring the buildings up to modern standards, including a better visitor experience, improved visitor access, information technology, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and improved security for visitors and Parliamentarians. The decade long $5 billion project scheduled for completion in 2031.

The decorative tarps used in the Centre Block rehabilitation project of the Canadian Parliament buildings are printed with a realistic image of the walls of Centre Block. These types of tarps are known as trompe l’oeil which means “trick of the eye.” The decorative trompe l’oeil tarps will cover the scaffolding installed around the building as crews perform important masonry and conservation work.

Visitors to Parliament Hill have the perception of seeing the stone walls and windows of the Centre Block of Parliament, when in fact they are looking at a very large printed copy.

The trompe l'oeil used on Centre Block

** the only trompe l'oeil in this image is on either side of the Peace Tower. Since last summer the entire front of the building was covered. I went away for 2 weeks and came back to this scene. Timing is everything. **

This panorama was shot above the Centennial Flame.

Opening we see Centre Block with construction cranes, Panning right (east) we see the East Block continuing to the West Block and back to Centre Block. Looking down we see the flame with the symbols for each province and territory and the date they joined confederation.

Location

USA-Canada / Canada-Ontario

Lat: 45° 25' 25.369" N
Long: 76° 42' 55.022" W

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

Equipment

Insta360 One RS 1-inch 360 edition, Insta360 Studio, Benro monopod

Architectural and Rehabilitation Challenges

For people with an interest in historical architecture, building rehabilitation. and art history conservation, here are links to various aspects of the project

The original Centre Block was completely destroyed by fire on February 16, 1916. The Library of Parliament was saved because its massive iron doors were closed.

The present Centre Block is Beaux-Arts Gothic Revival style of architecture.

Designed by John A. Pearson and Omer Marchand, it blends rugged Nepean sandstone with modern steel, featuring a 92-metre tower, pointed arches, and a monumental, symmetrical design. The Peace Tower is a 90 meter bell and clock tower an integral part of Parliament Hill’s Centre Block. Completed in 1927 to commemorate the Armistice of 1918 and Canadian sacrifices in WWI, it houses a 53-bell carillon and the Memorial Chamber.

In 1927, the Peace Tower clock was given to Canada by the United Kingdom. The gift marked the 60th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, it stopped working and was replaced by the current clock.

There are 4 clock faces 1 on each side of the Tower. The hour and minute hands of each face are run by an electric motor. Its controls are located 10 storeys down the Tower on the master clock. The precise timing of the clock is kept by the National Research Council's atomic clock in Ottawa. Normally, the large clock on the Peace Tower chimes every 15 minutes. The bells are silent during the restoration of Centre Block.

The Memorial Chamber in Canada's Parliament Peace Tower is a sacred shrine dedicated to Canadians who died in war, featuring a central altar for the First World War Book of Remembrance. It contains seven altars with books documenting over 118,000 fallen men and woman.

The room includes battlefield stone and stained glass it is considered the heart of the Peace Tower and Parliament buildings.

The Central Altar: crafted from Hopton wood stone gifted by Great Britain, houses the First World War Book of Remembrance.
Additional Altars: Six other altars hold Books of Remembrance for other conflicts, including, the Second World War, the South African War, the War of 1812, merchant navy, the Newfoundland Book, and In the Service of Canada book
Daily Ceremony: At 11 a.m. daily, a page is turned in each book to ensure all names are viewed throughout the year.
Materials: The walls and floors incorporate stone collected from European battlefields, including Ypres, Somme, and Vimy, with walls lined in French marble.
Design: The room was designed by architect John Pearson to represent a "sacred grove" with a vaulted ceiling and intricate carvings.

Stone carvings of human and animal figures and ancient creatures stare down from the outer walls of the Peace Tower. Although commonly called gargoyles, these stonework figures are properly referred to by various other names depending on the style in which they are carved.

The types of stone carvings on the Peace Tower are as follows:

A grotesque is a fanciful human or animal figure that symbolizes the desire to fight the power of evil. Grotesques are characterized by their distorted, absurd or ugly features.
A relief is any raised sculpture that is carved into a flat panel of material. The Peace Tower contains a number of sandstone panels—called friezes—into which these types of figures are engraved.
A boss is an ornamental block carving. Bosses made from Wallace and Birmingham Buff sandstones can be found at the ends of mouldings and arches on the Peace Tower.
A gargoyle is a decorative waterspout or eavestrough that is carved in the form of a human or animal figure. The purpose of gargoyles is to direct rain water away from the building and to ward off evil. There are 4 such non-functional sculptures, each approximately 2.5 metres long, on the Peace Tower.

Seismic suspension system: Centre Block will sit on a strong base of steel and reinforced concrete supported by 500 base isolators anchoring the building, so it will float in the event of an earth quake. Ottawa sits at the center of the Western Quebec Seismic Zone.

Inside Centre Block - The Restoration Part 1

Inside Centre Block - The Restoration Part 2

Inside Centre Block - The Restoration: The Senate of Canada

Inside Centre Block - The Restoration: The House of Commons Chamber

Inside Centre Block - The Restoration: Carvings, Sculptures and Stonework

The Memorial Chamber - Parliament Hill

Centre Block Construction Update (2025)

The challenge of preserving Centre Block’s heritage assets during its rehabilitation project

Mural conservation in Centre Block

Preserving History: Safeguarding frescoes in the Centre Block

Restoring the iconic Peace Tower

Removing the Carillon bells from the Peace Tower