A gleaming, teapot-like structure sits at the feet of Centretown’s lofty towers. Pedestrians, buses and cars stream by it at the corner of Kent and Slater streets on their way in and out of the downtown core. Rush hour traffic permits a longer look for those in the street, while curiosity inspires a closer look by more than a few passersby.
Tree Tunk Sculpture
While the sculpture, officially called Northshore, has similarities to a teapot, it could just as easily be a giant, steel tree trunk. This comparison is highlighted by a live tree protruding from its top, where a teapot’s lid would go.
Rotating fully once each minute, the tree gazes at the buildings gathered around the intersection. Even though it is just over four metres high, Northshore is far from dwarfed by the skyscrapers surrounding it. The reflective steel draws in the streets, the buildings, the people and the sky, uniting them in a curved mirror.
The greenery bursting forth above the reflection poses a lively contrast to Ottawa’s urbanized core.
The corner in front of Centretown’s Minto Place has been home to the sculpture since 2009 after Toronto artist Noel Harding won the Minto Development Group’s public art commission.
The sculpture is supposed to reflect the company’s commitment to the environment. It is said beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Northshore gives the beholder a lot to look at.
A distinctive and ambiguous design allows multiple interpretations; a suggestion of Canada’s – not so far off – wilderness tugs at the heart; and a literal reflection of the city’s more modern elements generates an urban energy. Northshore embraces Centretown’s evolving qualities and condenses them into an accessible piece of art, bringing home a reminder and promise of the area’s significance in the bigger picture.