Canadian Museum for Gender & Sexual Diversity
Overview
The first of its kind, the ground-breaking museum for the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity will be a home to the stories, celebrations and healing of Canada’s LGBTQI2+ community.
Details
- Client
- Canadian Musem for Gender & Sexual Diversity
- Project
- Canadian Museum for Gender & Sexual Diversity
- Size
- 15,000 sq. ft.
- Scope
- Master Planning
- Location
- Ottawa, ON, CA
- Year Completed
- 2018
The
Goal
R&P and partners TCI Consulting were asked to develop the Museum’s conceptual plan and feasibility masterplan for the new home of the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. A vibrant and active organization, this new museum initiative is to be established as a safe space where sexual diversity and gender issues are explored and celebrated, and the history of the movement documented. R&P was asked to develop a facility program and conceptual plan that would shape the scope, program and design character of the new space and explore the feasibility of the condo podium space that had been offered to the group as their new home. Key to the success of the study was a critical analysis and assessment of the space’s viability.
The
Design
The Master Plan envisioned a facility that was a welcoming community hub with the full support of programming, exhibition and office spaces needed to service the organization’s rich array of vital initiatives.
The set of exhibition spaces, new for the organization, are to be a blend of a permanent history gallery and temporary pop-up galleries. They will be responsive to new events, art and cultural installations that will help the organization tell a relevant and varied story.
Public space will be available for community groups, including a dedicated program space for the Indigenous LGBTQI2+, Two Spirits healing lodge that will function as an art studio for the creation of works that will explore Two Spirit stories, values, and creativity.
Even without a public-facing facility, the work that the CCGSD takes on reaches over 250,000 people annually. In addition to considering programmatic requirements, our work during the course of this project was to also imagine how to harness the energy and engagement that the group has achieved across Canada and transfer that incredible dynamism into this new facility.
You know what, we’re officially launching, we have a plan now, we have an idea. Now tell us what you like about the idea, what you don’t like about the idea. Tell us how you want to be involved.
The
Result
Based on the outcomes and analysis of the feasibility study, the CCGSD has launched their plans publicly and initiated their new fundraising campaign to realize this exciting new facility.
