Ādisōke: Joint facility project with Ottawa Public Library
About the project
Since 2016, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and Ottawa Public Library (OPL) have joined forces on Ādisōke, an ambitious project for a shared building where the public services of both institutions will be made available. This new building will be located at 555 Albert Street—in the heart of the nation’s capital—just a few hundred metres from the current LAC building on Wellington Street. Imagine: the riches of a public library and a national memory institution under one roof.
Ādisōke, which is scheduled to open in 2026, promises to be a cultural showcase for Canada’s heritage. It will become a must-see for residents of the National Capital Region, OPL and LAC users, and visitors from around the world: a gathering place and a compelling example of the Government of Canada’s commitment to building sustainable infrastructure.
About the building
Ādisōke’s design is based on ideas and suggestions from the public, Elders and members of Indigenous communities, employees, and partners. With its fluid architecture, breathtaking views and bright spaces to gather, create, discuss, research and inspire, Ādisōke will be a true living space that will present LAC and its services in a new light.
Spanning five floors and encompassing over 20,100 square metres, the new building will feature shared spaces, such as the central gathering space, café and large multi-purpose meeting areas, along with spaces devoted to specific uses of LAC and OPL.
About the name
In 2021, on behalf of the Anishinābe Algonquin Nation, Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg and the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation gave the name Ādisōke to the facility. Ādisōke is an Anishinābemowin word that refers to storytelling, the traditional means by which Indigenous peoples share knowledge, culture and history over generations. Ādisōke evokes what lies at the very heart of the partner institutions: Library and Archives Canada as a keeper of Canadian and Indigenous stories, and Ottawa Public Library’s use of stories to build the community and transform lives by inspiring learning, sparking curiosity and connecting people.
About the experience
Ādisōke is expected to attract more than 1.7 million visitors annually and will be a great opportunity to showcase culture and heritage from a diversity of perspectives and broaden access to our country’s history and knowledge. Evoking pride in Canada’s identity, the facility will provide a welcoming space for learning, discovery, gathering and collaboration, founded on an enhanced visitor experience.
For LAC, Ādisōke is part of its Vision 2030 project, the purpose of which is to improve every aspect of the user experience through a combination of online and in-person services.
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