The Building's History |
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The building is made of western red
cedar, concrete and glass. The church is memorable for its exterior with
gently rising roof culminating in a slender spire, and for the beauty of
its interior design.
Services were held in the newly completed church building for the first time on Easter Sunday 1967. Worship Hall and Fellowship Hall rest on a podium created by the 22 classrooms, which are not only used on Sundays for Religious Exploration, but are shared with the River Parkway Preschool and many other church and community groups. The church offices, nursery and library are gathered under the sheltering arms created by the wide-spearheading roof.
Besides the church, Unitarian house and the large parking area, there
is a meditation garden, a playground, gardens and easy access to the
bicycle path and the River. The building offers many resources for people
with diabilities. Many years ago, a "loop system" was installed
to aid the hearing-impaired during Sunday services. Braille hymnals were
also purchased and are available at the back of Worship Hall. Wheel-chair
access had long been a dream, and in 1988 an elevator and handicapped
washroom was added to the building. |
Local UU History |
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To Site Home Page:http://www.uuottawa.com/ |
The interior consists of everything from the curved wooden beams of the
vault above to the broad expanse of windows behind the pulpit. From
Worship hall a view of the Ottawa River and of the tree-clad Gatineau
Hills in Quebec can be seen.
The
building proved to be a winner not simply for the Unitarians. The spring
it was opened, the Ottawa chapter of the Ontario Association of Architects
awarded James B. Craig, the architect, second place in the annual design
contest for Ottawa. The architect has written: "To bring the
congregation as close as possible to the minister, no seat in the Worship
Hall, which holds 330, is more than 45 feet from the platform. So that
people when inside will feel they are still united with the outside world,
we have left large glass areas looking on to this pleasant site. The
entire building makes great use of western red cedar which imparts warmth
and humility, and creates a subtle tie with the surroundings." The
building seems to be tucked away in a quiet little corner of the west end.