National Museum Architecture

The National Museum of History (formerly the National Museum of Civilization) is a grand piece of sculpture in its own right.  Designed by Douglas Cardinal, a native person himself, from Alberta, this is probably his best known work.  I swear there are no straight lines in the building except for the floors themselves (which are flat. after all).

The curatorial wing is stunning, showing the curved lines of Cardinal's architecture.  He sees his buildings as growing out of the landscape, and fitting in to the site, here beside the Ottawa River.

The public side of the museum has that immense Grand Hall; this is what it looks like from the outside.  The curves are everywhere, even in the fences and railings.

 Cardinal has described the museum as a massive outcropping of layered sandstone, representing the landscape of Canada.

We walked up to the highest outdoor point for a view of the |Parliament Buildings across the river, our steps kept in check by those curved railings.

We headed down the steps to the river as our daughter had mentioned you could get a boat ride across the river - a lot easier than walking the big bridge!

Tomorrow, the water taxi over to the bottom of the Rideau Canal locks.

Interestingly, Cardinal's other best known work is probably the National Museum of the American Indian, located between the U.S. Capitol and the Smithsonian Museum, in Washington, D.C. and built with some of the same curving lines.

I thought later that this post would fit

 TexWisGirl's 'Good Fences' meme well,

 with all those curved railings, so here it is:

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