CANADIAN MUSEUM OF
CIVILIZATIONS PLAZA

A prairie of grasses for the Great Plains is designed to merge into the natural forces which have shaped the Canadian landscape embodied in Douglas Cardinal’s buildings for the Museum. A field of mixed indigenous grasses evokes the prairie phenomena of horizon and nuance, expressing the tension and stimulus between the natural and the artificial. Embedded in the ever-changing hues of grasses are a dozen dwarf pines that bring comfort and register the passing of the seasons; a spirited overture to a museum dedicated to the merging of nature and culture. In connection with the architectural leitmotif, the project plays on topography to illustrate the dynamic landforms of the Canadian Prairie. Contour lines set the undulating pattern for the circulation of pathways.

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