Canadian Parliament - West Block, Committee Rooms

Lead Designers Jean Sundin, Enrique Peiniger, Wendy Jiang

Entry Description

Inside the West Block on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill is an entirely unique realization of a broadcast television studio, where elegant and highly utilitarian luminaire assemblies replace visually oppressive overhead lighting racks. Deep beneath the Victorian High Gothic-style structure are intensely modern Committee Rooms, which demand both advanced technical lighting and clean aesthetics befitting a formal government ambiance. Unforgivingly low-slung ceilings provide a challenging setting for both.

Each seating position in the subterranean Committee Rooms must be lit to the exacting standards of high-definition cameras: both the background and subject must be illuminated with precise aiming angles. The rooms are also used for official receptions and events with theater-style seating. To achieve this functional and human-centric aesthetic balance, luminaires are installed in layers behind perforated, star-like panels, creating a tapestry of light: the first radiating like an artificial sky; the second concealing glare-controlled spotlights strategically distributed and focused for broadcast sessions.