Client: The City of Ottawa

Overview

HOME is a whimsical gateway to the neighborhood of Cambridge Street North in Ottawa that symbolically takes the iconic shape of a ‘house’ to represent the people who made this neighborhood their home. It emulates the shared values of families living together for those in the surrounding area. For those who are visiting Chinatown, it is an image of a welcoming, family-oriented community.

The sculpture is a 30’ tall galvanized steel structure painted white. It is composed of a house with clouds gently drifting by – drawing its inspiration from the natural and built environments that make Somerset Street and Cambridge Street North so remarkable. HOME is uniquely situated in the streetscape and spans over Cambridge Street North. When approaching the installation, the image of the house and clouds are complemented by the tree-lined street, creating a wholesome portrait of an inviting community set within nature.

Goals

This artwork Home depicts the outline of a house with clouds gently drifting above it. This symbolic take on the iconic shape of a house aims to reflect this surrounding neighbourhood and represent the community members that make Chinatown their home. Home acts as a doorway into the vibrant residential area of Chinatown, where there are multi-racial immigrants. From lifelong neighborhood residents to visitors who pass through to frequent shops in Chinatown, one is always entering the ‘home’ of Home regardless of their direction. The simply recognized, yet charming installation embodies acceptance and belonging in a public yet intimate passage open for anyone traveling by.