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• 1 2024-01-08T12:35:37-08:00 A Chapel Within a Gallery 6 by Ty Follis plain 1357315 2024-09-16T12:14:04-07:00 The Rideau Street Chapel was originally built in the years 1887 to 1888 to serve the convent on the corner of Rideau and Waller Street. While the chapel’s exterior was relatively unremarkable compared to what lay inside, the interior was of extreme architectural significance for Canada. The chapel is organized in a basilica style, with two aisles flanking a central nave with an altar at the front of the chapel. Surrounding the altar is an ornate hand-carved screen. Central to the chapel's significance is the use of Gothic Revival Tudor-style fan vaulting on the ceiling. Owing partially to the difficulty of constructing such a fan vault, the style is rarely found in Gothic Revival architecture, and the Rideau Street Chapel is the only known example of it within Canada. Also of significance is the use of slender cast iron columns, which was atypical of religious meetinghouses at the time and especially unique in their combination with the fan vaults. Finally, the chapel remains significant due to it being one of few surviving works by the architect. The only other surviving religious interior by Georges Bouillon is seen in the Notre-Dame Basilica in Ottawa (Kalman, 2-3). The chapel is not entirely original, however. In 1944 there was significant remodelling which altered the paint and much of the detailing of the chapel interior. Additionally, during the disassembly several aspects of the interior were damaged or unable to be saved, such as some of the decorative pieces on the walls as well as the wooden slats that make up the floorboards (Soldera, 73). Examples of some of these changes can be seen below:
  
  
  In 1984 it was announced that the chapel would find its new home within the walls of the new National Gallery of Canada (Noppen, 24). While discussing how best to integrate the chapel into architect Moshe Safdie's design, many possibilities were considered. One idea was raised to hang the salvaged pieces on a wall or a ceiling, much like the other art instalments at the Gallery. But the very nature of the fan-vaulted ceiling with its aisles, colonnades, and organization of space made such a possibility unappealing. The second option was to restore the chapel perfectly to how it once was, recreating every detail that had been damaged or lost over time. This option was rejected, “because the role of the National Gallery is to present works and not contexts, whether they are made of authentic objects or not” (Noppen, 27). The next alternative was to present the preserved chapel in a purpose-built room within the Gallery, but that presented its own problems. Should it be restored to its original form in 1888? If it were, it would best represent the architect’s original intentions, but would require removal of paint added during the 1944 remodelling, recreation of missing pieces, and difficult – as well as costly – conjecture to piece together its original look. Should it then be restored to the period just after the chapel's remodel? This would require an intensive cleaning of the entire interior, removing blemishes, brightening surfaces and repairing broken pieces. Or should it be restored to its condition when it was last seen standing in 1972? This was ultimately the option decided upon, as it would require the least amount of intervention and would most fully satisfy the requirements of modern conservation philosophy, as laid out in the Venice Charter (Commonwealth, 6-11):

  The Process of restoration is a highly specialized operation. Its aim is to preserve and reveal the aesthetic and historic value of the monument and is based on respect for original material and authentic documents. It must stop at the point where conjecture begins, and in this case moreover any extra work which is indispensable must be distinct from the architectural composition and must bear a contemporary stamp. The restoration in any case must be preceded and followed by an archaeological and historical study of the monument. (International Council art. 9)

  The next hurdle was that of the purpose of this new space. The move from a convent chapel to an artistic installation brought with it an inherent change of meaning. Originally a Roman Catholic worship space, it now serves an entirely different audience. Before its initial disassembly, the chapel was deconsecrated by the archdiocese of Ottawa, thereby removing the formal religious sanctity of the space. As the National Gallery is strictly an art institution and not a religious institution, its goal is to present artworks, whether they have religious ties or not, in relation to their impact on the artistic community (Soldera, 78). Yet in creating an exhibit for the chapel, the Gallery sought to present the important architectural piece in its best light. And so once again the National Gallery was faced with several possible options regarding the Rideau Street Chapel: should it be restored as an exhibit all on its own, with or without artistic pieces within? Should it primarily serve as a location to house other artworks, rather than claiming the space on its own? Or would it serve best as a separate function, such as a reading room (Commonwealth, 22)? Once again the Gallery opted for the conservative option, that of recreating the chapel space and displaying it on its own merit, with the chapel itself serving as the primary “artwork” in the room.