The new Ādisōke, Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility located on LeBreton Flats will be an important civic hub within the city of Ottawa. The project involved an extensive consultation process with a broad range of stakeholders and user groups and is the result of an integrated and collaborative design process. In particular, Elders and members of the Host Nation were important partners in shaping the design of the facility and honoured the project by selecting its name, Ādisōke.
Working closely with the architects Diamond Schmitt, the landscape design and geometries extend the architectural language of the building, drawing inspiration from the layered forms and materials found in Ottawa’s natural environment, including the escarpment, the Ottawa River, and the Gatineau Hills. This relationship between built form and landscape continues through a coordinated material palette used across both interior and exterior spaces.
The open space features a sculptural amphitheatre set within an intimate plaza designed to support small civic events, with integrated inclusive and accessible seating throughout. The landscape also includes an Indigenous gathering circle and a curated planting palette that references the site’s history.
Consultation and design for the project began in 2019. Construction commenced in 2024, with completion and opening anticipated in late 2026.
