adrien gardère opens renovated galleries inside moshe safdie's national gallery of canada

the national gallery of canada has completed its first major gallery transformation since the moshe safdie-designed building was inaugurated in 1988.

the national gallery of canada has completed its first major gallery transformation since the moshe safdie-designed building was inaugurated in 1988. after years of planning and nine months of construction, the ottawa institution has officially opened the new ‘canadian and indigenous galleries’, which have been reconfigured by adrien gardère. the re-design has resulted in spacious rooms that are able to present close to 800 works of art from the NGC’s collection.

studio adrien gardère has transformed the galleries to include LED lighting technology and custom-made display cases that bring the artworks closer to viewers, creating an enhanced visitor experience. the NGC’s canadian and indigenous collection also includes photographs alongside loans of historical indigenous sculptures and objects by inuit, métis, and first nation artists.

‘the newly transformed galleries provide the ideal setting to tell a more complete story of artmaking in this land, which dates back thousands of years,’ said national gallery of canada director and CEO, marc mayer. ‘by the time the national gallery was founded in 1880, the country was emerging as home to a rich mosaic of artistic practice. we worked closely with partner institutions and indigenous communities to create a meaningful display, representative of canada’s unique diversity and heritage.’

the national gallery of canada houses 132,700 square feet of galleries as well as facilities for educational programs, conservation, art storage, and administration. originally completed by moshe safdie in 1988, the design features a gently ramped colonnade that leads from the main entrance to the great hall with sweeping views of parliament hill and the ottawa river.