Latest news with #SomersetHouse
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hope for Somerset House renewed as 'major construction' finally underway
Construction is underway to renew the derelict Somerset House, a historic building in Centretown that's sat empty for almost two decades, according to the local councillor. This 129-year-old heritage building at the corner of Bank Street and Somerset Street W. partially collapsed in 2007. The eastern half was demolished and the western half boarded up, remaining empty and largely untouched ever since. In an interview with CBC on Sunday, Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said she was "really excited" to see significant development work on Somerset House begin. "There was a large concrete pour that happened on Friday ... and that was the first piece of major construction on this building for 17 years," Troster said. "Frankly [it's] been a much derided eyesore in the centre of town." 3 different redevelopments approved For Troster and others, the work is a relief — but also a symptom of the city's inability to act on a major "blight" affecting downtown Ottawa. When Jack Hanna, chair of the heritage working group for the Centretown Community Association, heard about the renewed construction efforts, his excitement came with an asterisk. "We have our fingers crossed that this time work proceeds through to completion," he said. That cautious attitude has been years in the making. Redevelopment plans put forward by the owner, TK Holdings, had been approved by the heritage committee three times: in 2013, in 2017 and again in 2023. A sign boasting the 2017 redevelopment plan is still on display on the Bank Street side of the building. In the meantime, the city has allowed an unstable wall to come down, ordered repairs and declined the developer's plan for a different project until Somerset House was fixed. "People look at it and they see what it was and what it could be again and it just irritates them," said Hanna. "It sits there year after year and nothing happens and it gets worse." 'Demolition by neglect' Hanna and Troster both described the building as an example of "demolition by neglect" — a building that's allowed to become rundown because it's too expensive to repair. The city should have more tools to compel owners to act before properties reach this state, Troster argued. "[Demolition by neglect] leads to urban blight and ... a downturn in the urban core," she said, adding that it's "very hard to compel [owners] to take action." Many landlords are letting properties sit empty or unrepaired until interest rates drop, Troster said. A vacant commercial property tax, she suggested, could encourage them to not leave properties empty. Hanna agreed, noting the city currently "can only do so much." "It needs more tools," he said. "It needs a tax to encourage developers to get on with building what they proposed to build." It's an issue Troster said she'd investigate if she won a second term after the 2026 election, as her focus now is on a renovictions bylaw. City staff worked hard to ensure construction began on Somerset House, Troster added, noting there was "a lot of hand-holding, a lot of faith" to re-establish a relationship with the owner. She didn't have a specific construction timeline but said she hoped things would "move considerably over the summer."
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Hope for Somerset House renewed as 'major construction' finally underway
Social Sharing Construction is underway to renew the derelict Somerset House, a historic building in Centretown that's sat empty for almost two decades, according to the local councillor. This 129-year-old heritage building at the corner of Bank Street and Somerset Street W. partially collapsed in 2007. The eastern half was demolished and the western half boarded up, remaining empty and largely untouched ever since. In an interview with CBC on Sunday, Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said she was "really excited" to see significant development work on Somerset House begin. "There was a large concrete pour that happened on Friday ... and that was the first piece of major construction on this building for 17 years," Troster said. "Frankly [it's] been a much derided eyesore in the centre of town." 3 different redevelopments approved For Troster and others, the work is a relief — but also a symptom of the city's inability to act on a major "blight" affecting downtown Ottawa. When Jack Hanna, chair of the heritage working group for the Centretown Community Association, heard about the renewed construction efforts, his excitement came with an asterisk. "We have our fingers crossed that this time work proceeds through to completion," he said. That cautious attitude has been years in the making. Redevelopment plans put forward by the owner, TK Holdings, had been approved by the heritage committee three times: in 2013, in 2017 and again in 2023. A sign boasting the 2017 redevelopment plan is still on display on the Bank Street side of the building. In the meantime, the city has allowed an unstable wall to come down, ordered repairs and declined the developer's plan for a different project until Somerset House was fixed. "People look at it and they see what it was and what it could be again and it just irritates them," said Hanna. "It sits there year after year and nothing happens and it gets worse." 'Demolition by neglect' Hanna and Troster both described the building as an example of "demolition by neglect" — a building that's allowed to become rundown because it's too expensive to repair. The city should have more tools to compel owners to act before properties reach this state, Troster argued. "[Demolition by neglect] leads to urban blight and ... a downturn in the urban core," she said, adding that it's "very hard to compel [owners] to take action." Many landlords are letting properties sit empty or unrepaired until interest rates drop, Troster said. A vacant commercial property tax, she suggested, could encourage them to not leave properties empty. Hanna agreed, noting the city currently "can only do so much." "It needs more tools," he said. "It needs a tax to encourage developers to get on with building what they proposed to build." It's an issue Troster said she'd investigate if she won a second term after the 2026 election, as her focus now is on a renovictions bylaw. City staff worked hard to ensure construction began on Somerset House, Troster added, noting there was "a lot of hand-holding, a lot of faith" to re-establish a relationship with the owner. She didn't have a specific construction timeline but said she hoped things would "move considerably over the summer."
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
Oman Pavilion wins best artwork design award at London Design Biennale 2025
Muscat: The Oman Pavilion has won the Best Artwork Design Award at the London Design Biennale 2025 for its installation Memory Network by Haitham Al-Busaifi. The award was announced during the opening ceremony held at Somerset House in London. The winning installation reflects the strategic vision of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth to support artistic and intellectual creativity among Omani youth. Designed by architect and designer Haitham Al-Busaifi in collaboration with the Zawraq Group, the piece blends cultural heritage with contemporary design. Memory Network reinterprets traditional Omani pottery through transparent formations arranged to resemble digital data centers. The installation examines values and social connections, prompting reflection on what societies choose to preserve across generations. Aligned with the Biennale's theme, Surface Reflections, it poses global humanitarian questions on the value of memories and shared experiences. The installation also includes an interactive element, allowing visitors to contribute their own memories and reflections, which are digitally integrated into the exhibit. This marks Oman's debut at the London Design Biennale, highlighting the Ministry's commitment to promoting Omani creativity on the global stage.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Major construction begins on historic Somerset House in Ottawa
Construction crews working at Somerset House in Ottawa's Centretown neighbourhood on Friday. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa) Major construction is set to begin Friday at Somerset House, the historic building in the heart of Ottawa's Centretown neighbourhood. The 129-year-old building at the corner of Somerset Street West and Bank Street has remained vacant since a partial collapse during renovations in 2007. The building, first erected in 1896, was a department store for the Crosby, Carruthers Company. In 2023, council approved a plan to restore and stabilize the building and construct a three-store addition to the back. The plan is to build a mixed-use building with two commercial units at the ground and basement levels and 14 residential units. In a post on Bluesky, Somerset coun. Ariel Troster said, 'Major construction finally begins this week' at Somerset House. 'This marks a significant turning point for the heritage property, which lay dormant for 17 years after a structural collapse,' Troster said. 'The Somerset House project supports downtown revitalization, new rental housing, and the preservation of heritage properties—key Council objectives. The renewed Somerset House will preserve its historic façade, add 14 rental units, include ground-floor retail, and contribute to local parkland.' Somerset House The owner of Somerset House has submitted an application to restore and stabilize the building on Somerset Street. (City of Ottawa documents) Troster said with final approvals nearly complete for the project, cement pouring for the rear addition will begin on Friday. 'This project complements broader city investments in Bank Street's public realm and community safety, rolling out this summer,' Troster said. The councillor says council's decision to provide development charge credits for designated heritage properties helped staff lead a 'coordinated effort to rebuild trust with the property owner to find a path forward.' Somerset House is owned by TKS Holdings. Nineteen orders have been issued under the Building Code Act for the property since 2007, and there were been 31 requests for service about the property since 2012, according to a city report in 2023.
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Oman pavilion exploring memory and identity in digital age wins award at London Design Biennale
A meditative exhibition exploring memory in the digital age has earned a prestigious medal for the Oman Pavilion on what is the sultanate's first appearance at the London Design Biennale. The pavilion commissioned by Oman's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth collected the best design medal at the traditional award ceremony held before the 2025 event opens to the public today at Somerset House. It runs until June 29. Curated by Muscat's Zawraq Collective and developed by architect Haitham Al Busafi, the Oman Pavilion is titled Memory Grid. It arranges transparent, machine-milled vessels in a darkened room to create a contemplative grid – a metaphor for how memories are retained in a connected world. As well as being one of the biennale's most Instagrammable installations, the pavilion invites visitors to quietly ruminate in a space scored by a low, humming atmospheric soundtrack. 'We really wanted this project to ask questions about how we choose to remember and preserve our heritage in an age where everything is shared online,' Zawraq Collective co-founder Noor Al Mahruqi tells The National. 'We don't often consider where we're actually sharing these memories and how they're physically stored in data centres. What we tried to do with this exhibition is create a fictionalised data centre – one represented through elements of our Omani heritage.' To come here for the first time and win the Best Design Medal is a real privilege and a moment of pride Noor Al Mahruqi, Zawraq Collective co-founder Memory Grid took a year to make and included an open call for Omani designers to propose an exhibition aligned with the collective's curatorial vision of fusing 'tradition, identity and contemporary life'. The winning designer, Al Busafi, is the Omani architect behind the country's first national pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022. Al Mahruqi adds: 'Memory Grid is a continuation of the transmission of shared wisdom passed down by our elders and through family ties and expressed through craft and design that runs through all aspects of Omani society, from the creation of our aflaj water irrigation system to traditional pottery. 'So to come here to the London Design Biennale for the first time, and to win the Best Design Medal, is a real privilege and a moment of pride.' While the Oman Pavilion looked into the digital future, the biennale's Abu Dhabi Pavilion took inspiration from the UAE's maritime past. Co-commissioned by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and presented by Qasr Al Hosn 's House of Artisans, the exhibition traces each stage of a traditional pearl diving voyage through sculpture installations, historical video footage and audio recordings. Some of the historical items on display include the maflaqa, a curved oyster knife and the fattam, a nose plug made from sheep bone or turtle shell used by divers. Audio recordings of naham chants – sea shanties – reverberate around the space, evoking the camaraderie necessary during those long and arduous journeys. The Abu Dhabi Pavilion also showcases a natural pearl found on Al Marwah Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Dating back to between 5800 and 5600 BCE during the Neolithic period, the discovery is viewed as one of the earliest known pieces of evidence of pearling. Saudi Arabia 's industrial-themed pavilion explores the hidden cost of making clean water freely available. Produced by the kingdom's architecture and design commission and curated by Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan and Fahad bin Naif, Good Water takes its structure from the traditional public water fountain known as the sabeel. At its centre is a metallic frame stocked with plastic cups, bottled water and looping video footage of large-scale industrial water production. Described in the curators' notes as 'design without designers,' the space is intentionally raw and cold, exposing the infrastructure behind the free water fountains we often take for granted. 'While it offers water freely, the reality is that the water is not free at all. Every sip is made possible by a complex system of labour, energy, and economics,' the exhibition notes read. 'Ultimately, the pavilion asserts that while free water may be paid for by someone else, it is never without cost.'
