The Canadian Museum of Nature is a natural history museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its collections, which were started by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1856, include all aspects of the intersection of human society and nature, from gardening to gene-splicing.
The building, known as the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, was built in former farm fields known as Appin Place.
"This massive stone structure is an excellent example of early 20th-century architecture in Ottawa, and was built for $1,250,000 by architect David Ewart who is responsible for many similar structures around the city. The construction of the building involved the importing of 300 skilled stonemasons from Scotland.The architectural style is sometimes described as Scottish baronial. Ewart was sent to Britain to study the architecture of Hampton Court and Windsor Castle, which greatly influenced his design of this building.
Unfortunately, because of the presence of unstable Leda clay in the geology of the site, a tall tower that was situated at the front of the building had to be taken down in 1915 due to settling and the concern that the foundation could not support the weight. The unstable site forced some workers to stop working, as shifting foundations in the basement shot bricks and stones out from the walls, hitting some construction workers.
A major renovation of all parts of the building began in 2004 and was completed in 2010, including a lighter-weight glass "lantern" taking the place of the tower removed in 1915. The newly renovated museum re-opened again on 22 May 2010, and the lantern structure was christened the "Queens' Lantern" in honour of both Elizabeth II, who visited the building on her 2010 royal tour, and Queen Victoria."
source : (
visit link)
On June 30, 2010, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially designated the new glass structure above the entrance of the Museum as the Queen's Lantern.
The Museum original stone tower was removed in 1916 because its excessive weight on the underlying leda clay had caused it to lean away from the building.
The new Queen's Lantern evokes the past and signals the renewal of the museum.
This is the text that you can read on the plaque :
"The Queen's Lantern is named in tribute to Queen Victoria, for whom the Victoria Memorial Museum Building was originally named, and to her great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II, in honor of her visit to the newly restored Canadian Museum of Nature.
This glass Lantern, completed in 2010, was placed to replace the original stone tower.
The Queen's Lantern was granted its name and this plaque unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by HIs Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
June 30 2010"