Architecture of Ottawa

The architecture of Ottawa is most marked by the city's role as the national capital of Canada. This gives the city a number of monumental structures designed to represent the federal government and the nation. As a historic city, the most significant architecture in the city centre tends to be Gothic Revival, Romantic and other Picturesque styles of architecture, with the Parliament Buildings, dating from the 1850s, being an example of Gothic Revival. Other buildings in the city follow formalistic and functional architectural styles.

Ottawa has always had a mix of different architectural styles, varying considerably based on what era a building or neighbourhood was constructed in. While founded in the early nineteenth century, few buildings outside of the Byward Market, Ottawa's old town, survive from that era and the vast majority of the city's structures date from the twentieth century. Much of the downtown was also greatly transformed in the 1960s and 1970s, and the swath of suburbs that surround the city also date from this period. Most of the city's remaining 19th century buildings are in the Byward Market, Parliament Hill, Sandy Hill, New Edinburgh, and to a lesser extent in Centretown. Areas such as the Byward Market and Parliament Hill allow the city to retain a certain European character despite the dominance of modern architecture.