Westboro Beach Pavilions

Three hexagonal concrete shells for one of the city's smallest beaches.

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    View of the pavilions from the east

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Approaching the beach from the east, the pavilions are visible

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    The approach to the beach coming from the underpass

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Relationship between two of the pavilions

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Looking east up at the middle and eastern most pavilion

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Detail of the pavilion

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Looking up at the east face of the middle pavilion

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Looking up along the face of a pavilion

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Overlooking the water and cafe

  • Westboro Beach Pavilions

    Looking out onto the Ottawa River

Address
Westboro Beach, Ottawa, ON
Designer
Year(s)
1966

Built in 1966, the concrete structures on the edge of the Ottawa River were designed by Jim Strutt on a triangular grid. The pavilions originally had glass roofs, which offset the mass of the concrete, while allowing natural light to fill the changerooms.
The complexity of the hexagonal pavilions was intended to bring whimsy and interest to the waterfront, despite their brutalist form. The arrangement of the three pavilions allows for a platform that overlooks the water, underneath of which is a cafe.

As of 2022, the National Capital Commission (NCC) approved a redevelopment scheme for Westboro Beach, which includes changes and retrofits made to Jim Strutt’s structures, as well as the construction of a new pavilion and restaurant.

More information on the Westboro Beach Pavilions can be found at the Related Resources.