Efficient Travel for the Flâneur: Intermodal Station and Central Library for Ottawa

The proposed expansion and long-awaited light rail connection to the Ottawa Airport offers the opportunity to create a practical and symbolic transportation node within Canada’s capital city. Overlooking the Ottawa River, Bayview Station occupies an almost barren site, detached from its context offering subpar connection between the east-west bus and north-south O-Train routes. A proposed Intermodal Station at Bayview will not only unify these lines, but promises to organize a multifaceted social and cultural landscape for persons arriving to the City and for commuting residents. At the shoreline of the Ottawa River, immediately flanking the Central Business District, the axial termination of the Prince of Wales Bridge -- Bayview Station -- becomes a fundamental mediator between Ottawa and Gatineau. The programmatic pairing of Intermodal Station and Central Ottawa Library intertwines the paths associated with efficient travel and wandering, opening a space to reflect on the dual nature of urban movement.