Architecture & National Identity: The Judicial Precinct a Century in the Making

Architecture & National Identity | The Judicial Precinct a Century in the Making examines the relationship between Canadian national identity and its association to architecture and place. Focusing on the architecture of the Capital Plateau, this thesis aims to understand Canadian identity in its ‘elusiveness’ and the significant role that architecture and its particular location play in establishing and evoking a sense of identity. By understanding architecture’s ability to become a symbol of identity, this research becomes the foundation for the design of the future Federal Courts of Canada. Currently missing an association to place, the courts and judicial system play a strong role in Canadian democratic identity. It is an idealistic, almost utopian, proposal which aims to manifest our national values regarding how our judicial system should function (transparency, security, justice) as architecture.