Download pdf - Carleton University Amphitheatre – History and Significance-draft... · The amphitheatre in summer and winter (Susan Ross, 2014/2017) – note two trees were removed. Description

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CarletonUniversityAmphitheatre–HistoryandSignificance

ThepurposeofthisdraftstatementonthehistoryandsignificanceofCarletonUniversity’samphitheatreistoinformthecurrentplanningforanewIndigenouslearningplaceinthisspace.ThestatementhasbeenpreparedbyprofessorSusanRossoftheSchoolofIndigenousandCanadianStudies,anarchitectspecializedinheritageconservation.AlthoughthehistoryofCarletonUniversityiswellstudiedinmanyaspects,thecampusanditsbuildingsandlandscapehavenotbeenofficiallyevaluatedfortheirheritagesignificance.Thisdrafttextisbasedonverypreliminaryresearchonthesite,someavailableexistingdocumentation,andlimitedresearchontheamphitheatreasamodernlandscapetypology.Moredetailedstudyandanalysiswouldberecommendedoverthelongerterm.Thepotentialheritagesignificanceoftheamphitheatrecanbesummarizedintermsofcampushistory,landscapedesignandecologicalfeatures,thatis:asincreasinglyrareevidenceoftheearliestcampusplanningideals;alastingbutlessknownworkbyaprominentCanadianlandscapearchitect;andahealthyarrangementofsoftlandscapingframingtheRideauRiverthatprovidesimportantrelieftotheincreasingdensityofthecampus.

Theamphitheatreinsummerandwinter(SusanRoss,2014/2017)–notetwotreeswereremoved.

DescriptionCarletonUniversity’samphitheatreisanoutdoorgreenspacewithpermanentsteppedseatingaroundalawncoveredstagearea.ItissituatedbetweenPattersonandSouthamHallsinthecoreareaofthecampuslocatedaroundthe“Quad.”ItsmainaccessisfromtheNorthend,byastairwayfromthepathwaythatrunsalongthesouthsideoftheLibrarytowardsthemainQuad.Thecentralaxisofthestairsandbenchesthatframethestageontwooppositesidesisshiftedoffthecampusgrid,appearingtoguidetheviewfromhigherupdowntowardsthecentralspaceandtotheRideauRiverbeyond.ThecentralstagespaceoftheAmphitheatrestartsoutjustabovethelowerlevelthatwrapsaroundthebaseofPattersonalongsidethequad.Theappearanceofadepressedoutdoorspacewascreatedbyagrass-coveredhillontheSouthside,towardstheRiver,andacontrastinghard-edgedcascadeofplantersontheNorthside.Matureevergreentreesandbushesframethisspace.Theseatingconsistsofwooddeckingrestingoncontinuouspouredinplaceconcretewallsthatretainthesoil.ConcretewallsalsoformthecontainersforthesidewallsandplantersthatframetheaccessfromtheNorthviaastairthatisbrokenbyawidelanding.

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ConstructionHistoryTheearliestcampusplans(1960),showedonlyafewbuildingsaroundacourtyardfacingtowardstheRideauCanal;therewerenospecificplansforthisareawhichwouldhavethenstillconnecteddirectlywiththeRideauRiver.Siteconditionsoftheearlycampuscanbeseeninanaerialphotographtakenin1961duringconstructionofSouthamHallandanadditiontoPatersonHall.Theamphitheatrefirstappearsona1968MurrayandMurrayplan.

Earlycampusplansandaerialphotography(CUArchives)

Theamphitheatrewasbuiltca.1968,accordingtoplansbyD.W.GrahamandAssociatesLtdLandscapeArchitects.Apreliminarycomparisonwiththesitetoday,suggestthattheseplansgenerallyreflectthecurrentconditions,althoughsomeoftheretainingwallstothewestofthestairhavebeenalteredandreplacedbyconcreteblocks.TheDWGplansindicatespecificspeciesoftrees(e.g.ScotchPine)andbushes(e.g.Juniper),whicharelargelyinplace,tobeverifiedbyanarborist.Twolargerdeciduoustreeswereremovedandreplacedsince2014.Builtintheinitialperiodofincreasedcampusdevelopment,theDWGplansfortheamphitheatrealsoshowproposedvegetationforthe“Quad.”Thequadisitselfisnolongerasintact,althoughsomeofitsmaturetreesmayrelatetothatperiodofplanting.Rectangularplanter/benchesalongthelibrarypatharealsolikelyfromthisearlierperiod.

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Theamphitheatrelandscapeisthusanoteworthyexampleoftheearlierapproachtothecampusdesignthathasbeenmuchalteredinotherpartsofthecampus(Bouse).

ImageusedtopromoteCarletonUniversitythatshowstheAmphitheatreinuse–withprominenttreenowgone(http://education.kilroy.net/media/60715/carleton-uni-students-amphitheater.jpg)DonW.Graham,LandscapeArchitectThedesigneroftheamphitheatre,DonW.Graham(1930-…),isconsidered“akeymemberofthepioneeringgenerationofCanadian-bornlandscapearchitectswhobroughtmoderndesigntoCanadainthepostwaryears”(Williams).AfterstudyingagricultureatMcGillUniversity,theMontrealborndesignerworkedfrom1953withtheFederalDistrictCommissionwithEdWood,anotherimportantpioneer,beforepursuinggraduatestudiesinlandscapearchitectureatHarvardUniversity,toreturnin1958totheFDC(laterNCC),andthenopeninghisownfirmin1964.WhilewiththeNCCGrahamdesignedtheprestigiousGardenoftheProvincesbuiltoppositetheNationalLibraryandArchivesonWellingtonStreet(Zvonar).AsanindependentdesignerhewasresponsibleforimportantcommissionslikethelandscapeofExpo67aswellasmorepopularlocalsitesliketheAndrewHaydonPark.TheExpo67workisconsideredadefiningperiodofdevelopmentinCanadianlandscapehistoryandGraham’sworkwasnotedforhisemphasisonnaturalelementsandsocialexchange(Valois).

SunRiseAmphitheater,CO(1934)ScottAmphitheatre,SwarthmoreCollege,PA(1942)ModernamphitheatresOutdooramphitheatreshavealonghistoryinarchitecture,buttheirmorerecentuseinpublicparksandspacesinNorthAmericahasbeenconnectedwithareactionagainstthecommercialindoor“atmospherictheatres”popularinearly20thcenturycities.Assuch,theywereusuallydesignedwithsimpleorganicmaterialsthatmaximizedtherelationshiptonaturalfeatures,oftenusingadramaticlandscapeasabackdrop.Oftenlocatedinparksorassociatedwithotherculturalfunctionssuchastheatresandlibraries,inthecontextofacampusdesign,theywereusuallyintendedtofacilitateoutdoorlearning.TheoneatCarleton

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waslocateddirectlyadjacenttotheSouthamHalltheatre.TheapproachtodesignatCarletoninthe1960sputemphasisoncollaboration,whichmaybethereasonthisworkwasnotlistedinasummaryofGraham’sprojectscreatedaspartofanationalstudyoflandscapearchitects.Howevermodernlandscapearchitectureisalsolesswellunderstoodingeneral,withprojectssuchasthisonethatbridgesmodernmaterialswithmoretraditionalformsonlybeginningtobestudiedandappreciated.ThefollowingphotosweretakenbySusanRossinFebruary2017:

Viewfromthe8thfloorofLoebBuildingTowerCtowardsPattersonHall

ViewstowardstheNorthsidefromthepathwayandthebaseofPattersonHall

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ThehillsidebehindtheSouthsideanddetailofcurvedwoodandconcretebenches

Viewfromthe5thfloorofMacOdrumLibrary–lookingtowardstheSouthandtheRiver

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GradingandplantingsiteplansbyD.W.GrahamLandscapearchitectLtd,Ottawa,1968:

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References“Whydidtheybuildthatamphitheatre.”TheCharlatan,Sept.27,1968.“Amphitheatre.”TheCulturalLandscapeFoundation.Web.http://tclf.org/category/designed-landscape-types/amphitheaterBouse,David.ElectronicAtlasofaCulturalLandscape:CarletonUniversityandEnvirons.Web.http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/e-atlas/home.htmlBrookMcIlroy.CarletonUniversity2016CampusMasterPlanUpdate.https://carleton.ca/fmp/campus-master-plan/2016-master-plan/“ConstructionU.”CarletonUniversityArchives.Web.https://arc.library.carleton.ca/exhibits/construction-uD.W.GrahamandAssociatesLtd,LandscapeArchitects.“CarletonUniversityAmphitheatre.”Sheets1-8,1968(copiesofsheets1-6,8obtainedthroughCarletonUniversityFacilitiesmanagement)LeGeyt,Linda.“DonaldWalterGraham,”inChangingtheFaceofCanada:ProfilesofLandscapeArchitects.VolumeTwo.CSLA,1998.Urbsite.“LastStandforCarleton’sEarlyModerns,”2010.Web.http://urbsite.blogspot.ca/2010/02/last-stand-for-carletons-early-moderns.htmlValois,NicoleetJonathanCha.“L’architecturedepaysagedel’Expo67,JSSA38.2(2013):55-70.Valois,Nicole.“HeritageValuesasSeenbythePublic:GardenoftheProvincesandTerritories,”http://www.patrimoinebati.umontreal.ca/documents/EN_JARDIN_DES_PROVINCES_ET_DES_TERRITOIRES_BD.pdfWilliams,Ron.LandscapeArchitectureinCanada,McGill-QueensU.Press,2014.

Zvonar,JohnE.“GardenoftheProvinces...Finallytakingcentrestage!”InSusanAlgieandJamesAshby,editors.ConservingtheModerninCanada:Buildings,EnsemblesandSites,1945-2005,TrentUniversity,Peterborough,May6-8.2005,151-159.http://www.winnipegarchitecture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/CMC-Proceedings_Eng_a.pdfContactProf.SusanRoss,[email protected]