Rideau Street Chapel
Encyclopedia
The Rideau Street Chapel was part of the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Rideau Street
in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
. It was demolished in May of 1972, but its interior was salvaged, due to a public appeal to preserve the architectural beauty it displays. This interior is now on permanent display at the National Gallery of Canada
in Ottawa. Its careful preservation gives visitors the impression that they are actually entering the Chapel as it was before it was demolished. Its stained-glass windows are illuminated with artificial lighting, giving the illusion of outside sunlight, even though the Chapel is actually located in the middle of the Gallery, without any direct access to outdoor light.
The Rideau Street Chapel often showcases Janet Cardiff
's exhibit Forty-Part Motet (2001), which features the melody "Spem in alium
" by Thomas Tallis
. Each of the forty speakers set around the Chapel plays the sound of a single voice of the forty-part choir
, allowing for a highly-enhanced appreciation of the musical piece.
In 2004, a Carleton University research centre, Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS)
undertook the project of digitizing the exterior and interior of the Rideau Chapel. Supported by a Canadian Heritage New Media Research Network Fund grant, the digitization process began with the documentation gathered before the demolition of the Convent. Architectural drawing
s were used as the base asset for the modeling process and were cross-referenced with dimensions recorded at the chapel itself. Students used the 3D modeling software, Maya
, to construct the interior space of the chapel. Since the Convent exterior was not saved, archival photographs of its exterior were used to photogrametrically re-build the geometry of the building. Photogrammetry
is a digitization process that is able to generate highly accurate 3D geometry from measurements made in two or more photographs of the same object taken from different angles. Laser scanning
was done on the intricate woodwork of the chapel’s altarpieces and carvings and produced a level of highly accurate and detailed documentation of the chapel never before gathered. Concurrent to the digitization process, historical assets were gathered and assessed and used in the development of the narrative in which the final digital artifacts were given life. Since it was determined that there was no single point of view that could tell the story, the theme of intertwining threads was used to weave together the various perspectives and issues that were important in re-presenting the story of the chapel. The various digital artifacts produced by each process and method were integrated and used in the crafting of high-resolution animations, interactive environments, rich media DVD and the web.
Rideau Street
Rideau Street is a major street in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and one of Ottawa's oldest and most famous streets running from Wellington Street in the west to Montreal Road in the east where it connects to the Vanier district...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was demolished in May of 1972, but its interior was salvaged, due to a public appeal to preserve the architectural beauty it displays. This interior is now on permanent display at the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
in Ottawa. Its careful preservation gives visitors the impression that they are actually entering the Chapel as it was before it was demolished. Its stained-glass windows are illuminated with artificial lighting, giving the illusion of outside sunlight, even though the Chapel is actually located in the middle of the Gallery, without any direct access to outdoor light.
The Rideau Street Chapel often showcases Janet Cardiff
Janet Cardiff
Janet Cardiff is a Canadian installation artist. Born in Brussels, Ontario in 1957 Cardiff studied at Queen's University where she graduated in 1980. She also studied at the University of Alberta and graduated in 1983. She works in collaboration with her partner George Bures Miller. Cardiff and...
's exhibit Forty-Part Motet (2001), which features the melody "Spem in alium
Spem in alium
Spem in alium is a forty-part Renaissance motet by Thomas Tallis, composed circa 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. The sacred text has been used as a basis for other choral settings, such as and the...
" by Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
. Each of the forty speakers set around the Chapel plays the sound of a single voice of the forty-part choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, allowing for a highly-enhanced appreciation of the musical piece.
In 2004, a Carleton University research centre, Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS)
Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS)
Established in 2002, Carleton Immersive Media Studio is a Carleton University Research Centre within the School of Architecture. The CIMS research agenda is based on the intertwining of content creation and applied research, allowing each to affect and inform the other...
undertook the project of digitizing the exterior and interior of the Rideau Chapel. Supported by a Canadian Heritage New Media Research Network Fund grant, the digitization process began with the documentation gathered before the demolition of the Convent. Architectural drawing
Architectural drawing
An architectural drawing or architect's drawing is a technical drawing of a building that falls within the definition of architecture...
s were used as the base asset for the modeling process and were cross-referenced with dimensions recorded at the chapel itself. Students used the 3D modeling software, Maya
Maya (software)
Autodesk Maya , commonly shortened to Maya, is 3D computer graphics software that runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video...
, to construct the interior space of the chapel. Since the Convent exterior was not saved, archival photographs of its exterior were used to photogrametrically re-build the geometry of the building. Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is the practice of determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images. Photogrammetry is as old as modern photography and can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century....
is a digitization process that is able to generate highly accurate 3D geometry from measurements made in two or more photographs of the same object taken from different angles. Laser scanning
Laser scanning
In modern engineering, the term `laser scanning' is used to described two related, but separate meanings. The first, more general, meaning is the controlled deflection of laser beams, visible or invisible...
was done on the intricate woodwork of the chapel’s altarpieces and carvings and produced a level of highly accurate and detailed documentation of the chapel never before gathered. Concurrent to the digitization process, historical assets were gathered and assessed and used in the development of the narrative in which the final digital artifacts were given life. Since it was determined that there was no single point of view that could tell the story, the theme of intertwining threads was used to weave together the various perspectives and issues that were important in re-presenting the story of the chapel. The various digital artifacts produced by each process and method were integrated and used in the crafting of high-resolution animations, interactive environments, rich media DVD and the web.