Technical specifications:
- Components: 608
- Dimensions: 370x90x340mm
- Complete set including all parts and assembly instructions
- Recommended age: 6 years and up
Centre Block houses the chambers of the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada. Its south facade features the 92m high Peace Tower, while the north facade facing the river houses the Parliamentary Library. The East Block and the West Block contain offices for ministers and senators, as well as meeting rooms and additional administrative spaces. Although all three main buildings are built in the neo-Gothic style, they incorporate not only elements from Britain but also variations from France, the Netherlands, and Italy. Behind the West Block stood the old Supreme Court building since 1882. It was demolished in 1955 after the court moved to a new building west of Parliament in 1945. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were various considerations to replace the West Block and the Parliamentary Library with new buildings and to construct a parking lot instead of the East Block, but none of these plans were ever realized. In 2002, a comprehensive renovation program began, expected to cost around one billion dollars and be completed by 2020. Specifically, masonry will be repaired, asbestos removed, security systems installed, and visitor facilities improved. From 2012, the Centre Block will be closed for five years to carry out extensive interior renovations. The Senate and House of Commons will relocate to the East Block and West Block, whose courtyards will be temporarily covered and converted into meeting rooms.