The Wellington Building

Originally built in 1927, the Wellington Building is a distinctive Beaux Arts building in Canada’s capital city. NORR was chosen to transform it from insurance office building to dignified facilities for the House of Commons. Our design team made sure the remaining character-defining heritage rooms on the ground floor were preserved and restored.

The Wellington Building was stripped back to its internal structural framing, building systems completely replaced and seismic and security upgrades implemented. The demolition of the central third of the building allowed us to insert a more robust structural core. Multi-purpose rooms on the third and fourth floors offer views to the parliament buildings and surrounding city. A plant-filled atrium features a sculptural staircase and links the reconstructed 1927 and 1959 lobbies. On the upper floors, our design team lined the multi-story Library of Parliament with wood panels and sculptural shells of copper recycled from the historic 1927 roof. This monumental building now serves as an important part of the Canadian capitol’s long-term revitalization.