Popular local events Doors Open Ottawa and RBC Bluesfest come together at Festival House

As the space used to bring some of the world’s top musical acts to Ottawa, Festival House has come a long way from its humble beginnings as the Westboro United Church. While it might not be an Ottawa landmark just yet, the recently renovated building located at 450 Churchill Avenue North has certainly made its mark. As the home of one of Ottawa’s largest and most popular annual music festivals – RBC Bluesfest – it touches the lives of thousands of residents and visitors every year.

A wonderful example of successful adaptive re-use, the public will get a chance to explore the space on June 6 and 7 as part of Doors Open Ottawa – another eagerly anticipated annual event, one that celebrates Ottawa’s built heritage.

Built in 1913, the Westboro United Church was gifted to the Ottawa Music Society in 2011 for one ceremonial dollar. Originally slated to become a music hall, consultations with the community eventually resulted in the development of a loft space in the building to house the festival headquarters. The lower levels have become a community arts hub.

The building was redesigned to accommodate the Ottawa Festivals organization, which includes the CityFolk Festival, but under the direction of Barry J. Hobin & Associates Architects Inc. the renovations were done in a way that preserved the building’s existing features.

“What people will notice the most is that we have maintained the integrity of the original building,” explained AJ Sauvé, Director of Bluesfest Media Relations. “The church was near and dear to the community, and we wanted to conserve that.”

Festival House is following through with that promise by being the city’s first community based non-profit organization with a mandate to support music education and emerging artists through the Bluesfest School of Music and Art. On any given day, it is bustling with creativity.

“The amount of talent that comes through this door is really inspiring,” says Kate Ritchie, Manager of the Bluesfest School of Music and Art. “It’s really great to see so many people working in arts, culture and music coming together in one space.”

The creative energy in the building can only be matched by the architecture of the building itself. During Doors Open Ottawa, visitors will be guided through the unique working spaces and invited to participate in musical workshops provided by the Bluesfest School of Music and Art.

During the tour, visitors should take special note of the church’s original features that have been incorporated into the functional work and music space, including an old organ pipe wall and hanging chandeliers.

The stained glass windows, in particular, can’t be missed. “Everyone is drawn to them as soon as they walk in,” says Ritchie, proud of the building’s adaptive re-use. “It’s nice to have this building preserved in the neighbourhood and to see that it is still being used, that there is a living memory surrounding it and that it will continue.”

Doors Open Ottawa is a free event, held annually during the first full weekend of June. It is celebrating its 14th year and will showcase more than 120 buildings in 2015. For building and participation times, visit ottawa.ca/doorsopen or pick up a copy of the 2015 Doors Open Ottawa building guide. The guide is available at Bridgehead coffee locations, at any Doors Open Ottawa building location or, if you’re a subscriber, through the _ Ottawa Citizen _ on May 29.

A free Doors Open Ottawa shuttle bus service will also operate throughout the downtown core, connecting to more than 50 participating sites, so don’t miss your chance to experience Ottawa’s built heritage during this free and unique annual event.