The architecture of Ottawa is most marked by the city's role as the national capital of Canada. This gives the city a number of monumental structures designed to represent the federal government and the nation. It also means that as a city dominated by government bureaucrats, much of its architecture tends to be formalistic and functional. However, the city is also marked by Romantic and Picturesque styles of architecture such as the Parliament Building's Gothic Revival architecture.
Skyline of downtown Ottawa from above the Ottawa River. The city is a mix of different architectural styles, varying based on what era the area was developed in.
The Greenbelt is an area of protected green space within Ottawa. The Greenbelt emerged from the city's master plan in 1950.
After Confederation, the federal government constructed a series of monumental structures, including the Victorian High Gothic Parliament buildings (left), and the Second Empire-styled Langevin Block (right).
Tunney's Pasture is a cluster of government buildings in the western part of Ottawa. Most government structures built in the 1950s and 1960s were designed in a minimalist International Style.
The Peace Tower is a focal bell and clock tower sitting on the central axis of the Centre Block of the Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. The present incarnation replaced the 55-metre (180 ft) Victoria Tower, after the latter burned down in 1916, along with most of the Centre Block; only the Library of Parliament survived. It serves as a Canadian icon and had been featured prominently on the Canadian twenty-dollar bill, directly adjacent to the depiction of Queen Elizabeth II, until the change to polymer.
Main facade in 2014
One of four grotesques at the corners of the Peace Tower
South clock face and the glass windows of the observation deck below
"On Going to the Wars" by Earle Birney, from the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower