Jury member turns critic of Canadian communism memorial
Shirley Blumberg was a member of the jury that picked the design for the national capital's planned new National Memorial to Victims of Communism. Now the Toronto architect is questioning the project from the ground on up. She says, "I'm deeply troubled by the selection of the site for this monument."...
Shirley Blumberg was a member of the jury that picked the design for the national capital's planned new National Memorial to Victims of Communism. Now the Toronto architect is questioning the project from the ground on up. She says, "I 'm deeply troubled by the selection of the site for this monument."
The monument is slated for construction directly across from the Supreme Court of Canada. The site is part of the capital's symbolic judicial precinct, just down the street from Parliament Hill. Blumberg, a partner with the firm KPMB, points out that under a decades-old plan the site had been reserved for very different structure.
"I think it should be a building that in scale, and quality, and gravitas is commensurate with the other buildings on the Hill and that it should not be a monument."
Blumberg also has concerns about the design selected for the project. She warns that it is too big for the site, that it will cost far more than the projected $5.5M and that the special concrete required for the design will not be able to withstand Ottawa's harsh climate.
Here is the winning design:
You can see some of the other designs and listen to previous interviews here and here.
Here is the winning design:
You can see some of the other designs and listen to previous interviews here and here.