Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to restore 24 Sussex Drive. A national design-build competition, launched last week, will allow a Canadian firm to rehabilitate and modernize the long-vacant Gothic Revival mansion that had officially housed Canada’s prime ministers for 75 years.
Abandoned since 2015 after decades of deferred maintenance left the property in critical condition, the residence will be renewed into a more accessible, sustainable, and functional home through a non-partisan fundraising campaign that will pay for the multi-million-dollar project while preserving its heritage character.
Built in 1868, 24 Sussex Drive was acquired by the federal government in 1949. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent became its first prime ministerial resident in 1951. Since then, the property has not undergone a comprehensive rehabilitation, despite being designated a Classified Federal Heritage Building in 1986.
Going forward, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) will provide advice on the competition framework and convene an independent jury of distinguished Canadian experts in architecture, heritage conservation, and design. The winning proposal will be announced by Canada Day, July 1, 2027.
“24 Sussex Drive is more than a residence; it is an enduring symbol of Canadian democracy and an important part of our architectural and cultural heritage,” said Johanna Hurme, RAIC’s president-elect. “The opportunity to renew it comes only once in a generation. By inviting Canada’s leading multidisciplinary teams to compete through an independent and transparent process, this initiative will showcase the design excellence, creativity, innovation, and expertise that define Canadian architecture and engineering.”
Chaired by Moshe Safdie, CC, one of Canada’s most renowned architects, the jury will provide key input to assess the proposals and will recommend the winning design to Cabinet. The jury’s members are: Carol Bélanger, Nicolas Demers-Stoddart, Omar Gandhi, Mamie Griffith, Patricia Kell, and Brigitte Shim, OC.
To ease the burden on tax-payers, the Rideau Hall Foundation will lead a national crowd-funded campaign to give Canadians and philanthropic organizations an opportunity to cover all or most of the renewal costs.
