Through the depression, the Second World War, and the postwar decades of expanding scientific research and economic growth, the Energy Mines and Resources Complex in Ottawa stood at the forefront of Canadian technological research and innovation. Shuttered since 2001 , the complex—a collection of remarkable historic buildings made for research and development—now stands empty.

Material Memory explores narratives of Canada’s modern industrial history. The project investigates the potential of rerepresentation, through the creation of a physical archive of the complex and the artefacts located therein, to deepen our understanding of place. Purposeful appropriation of, and additions to the historical EMRC buildings provide means for reimagining the futures of urban industrial complexes and governmental sites.