National Arts Centre (building) facts for kids
| Centre national des Arts | |
 |
|
| Address | 1 Elgin Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°25′23″N 075°41′38″W / 45.42306°N 75.69389°W |
| Public transit |  Rideau |
| Owner | Government of Canada |
| Type | Arts centre |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1965 |
| Opened | May 31, 1969 |
| Construction cost | $46 million |
| Architect | Fred Lebensold |
| Official name: National Arts Centre National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated | 2006 |
| Reference no. | 9091 |
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is a special place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It's where you can enjoy many different performing arts, like music, dance, and plays. The NAC is right next to the beautiful Rideau Canal. It's so important that it was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 2006.
Contents
History of the National Arts Centre
For many years, Ottawa didn't have a big theatre for shows. In 1928, an old theatre was taken down to build Confederation Square. This meant performers had to use a movie theatre stage.
In 1963, two people named G. Hamilton Southam and Levi Pettler decided to fix this. They started a group to help build a proper arts centre. They convinced the city and the government to build it downtown, near the Rideau Canal.
Building the NAC
The NAC was one of many projects built to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday in 1967. It opened its doors on May 31, 1969. The building cost about $46 million. The land it sits on was once home to Ottawa's City Hall. The city gave this land to the government for the NAC.
In June 2010, Queen Elizabeth II visited the NAC. She helped unveil a statue of a famous Canadian jazz musician, Oscar Peterson. The statue is outside the building.
Architecture and Design
The NAC building was designed by an architect named Fred Lebensold. It has a unique style called Brutalist architecture. This style uses lots of concrete and often has strong, blocky shapes. The NAC's design uses triangles and hexagons.
The building is made of strong concrete. Many of its walls, both inside and out, have special concrete panels. These panels contain crushed brown granite, which gives them a textured look. The NAC sits on top of a large underground parking garage.
Inside the NAC
The lower part of the building holds offices, lobbies, and dressing rooms. It also has workshops and a restaurant. Because the land slopes towards the Rideau Canal, there's a second underground level with views of the canal.
The roof of the lower section is a big terrace with gardens. These gardens are open to everyone and connect to the Mackenzie King Bridge. The three main performance halls rise up from this base. They are shaped like hexagons and have the same brown concrete panels. The windows are tall and narrow. You'll see the hexagon shape repeated throughout the inside, in ceilings, lights, and floors. The lobbies and stairwells also display many pieces of art.
Special Organs
When the NAC was first planned, it was supposed to have a large organ in Southam Hall. However, there wasn't enough money at the time. Later, in 1970, a special gift arrived. A Dutch-Canadian group donated two organs to the NAC. This was a thank-you gift for Canada's help in liberating the Netherlands during World War II.
In 2000, the NAC was recognized as one of the top 500 buildings in Canada from the last 1,000 years.
Modern Updates
In 2014, the government announced a big renovation for the NAC. It cost $110 million. The original building was designed to face a lagoon that was never built. The renovation added new entrances and windows to make the building face Parliament Hill instead. It also updated the washrooms and added more space for events. The newly renovated centre opened on July 1, 2017, just in time for Canada's 150th birthday!
Performance Stages
The National Arts Centre has four different stages for performances:
- Southam Hall: This is the biggest stage, with 2,065 seats. It's home to the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. It also hosts ballet shows and other large touring productions.
- Babs Asper Theatre: This theatre has 897 seats. It's mainly used for plays and dance performances, as well as some concerts. It's where the English and French theatre companies perform.
- Azrieli Studio: This is a smaller, more intimate space with 307 seats. It's perfect for theatre and music concerts that need a cozier setting.
- Fourth Stage: This stage has 152 chairs. It opened in 2001 and was completely rebuilt in 2016-2017. It's used for many NAC Presents concerts and various community events.
See also
- List of concert halls
