The Iconic Building

An Iconic Symbol of Canada

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was conceived by Israel Asper as a distinctive, architecturally exceptional museum that would become an iconic symbol of Canada – on par with the Sydney Opera House or the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

The building design by award-winning architect Antoine Predock was selected through one of Canada’s largest-ever international, juried architectural competitions.

Through his unique and timeless design, Predock has created a path for the visitor from darkness to light. The journey starts in the Museum’s “roots”. Rising up from the hallowed grounds where Aboriginal peoples first came to resolve conflict and live together in peace, visitors ascend a series of bridges, encountering human rights stories and the people who made them along the way.

The journey will encompass over 4,300 square metres (over 47,000 square feet) of exhibit space through nearly a kilometre of bridges leading visitors to the Tower of Hope, a 20-storey glass structure overlooking the horizon.