Ottawa architects to design new Lansdowne Park

Two Ottawa architects have been chosen to lead the redesign of Lansdowne Park.

Barry Hobin and Ritchard Brisbin will be in charge of the architectural style and urban design of much of the project, the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) said in a news release Thursday.

"Ritchard Brisbin and Barry Hobin have left their indelible marks on the Ottawa skyline, and now, they will get the opportunity to apply their magic to the Lansdowne Park of the future," OSEG partner Roger Greenberg said in a statement.

Brisbin is the principal architect behindOttawa's new Convention Centre, and Hobin's firmhas won a number of awards, including a City ofOttawa Urban Design Award in 2005 for its work on Grace Manor, a long-term care facility run by the Salvation Army.

A company called Cannon Design will be responsible for the architectural design of the retail buildings and the layout of Frank Clair Stadium. The Toronto-based company designed the Richmond Olympic Oval and worked on renovations at B.C. Place Stadium.

Ottawa city council voted last November to start negotiating the terms of a private-public partnership with the OSEG to redevelop Landsdowne Park. The controversial development plan includes the construction of a cluster of shops, cinemas, condominiums and townhouses and the revamping ofthe site's existing stadium.

Lansdowne Park is a former agricultural fairground just south of downtown, in the Glebe neighbourhood, where rows of boutique-style shops are flanked by tree-lined streets of single-family homes. The property is bounded by busy Bank Street to the west and faces the Rideau Canal to the south and still hosts sports events of all sizes.