Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a competition for Canada's leading architecture firms to revive 24 Sussex Drive, the 35-room building overlooking Ottawa that has been abandoned due to severe deterioration. Speaking outside the residence on March 28, Carney said the competition will be organized by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, with an independent jury of experts in architecture, heritage conservation, and design. The winning design will be announced on July 1, 2027, Canada's national holiday.
24 Sussex Drive, originally named Gorffwysfa (Welsh for 'place of peace'), has been home to 11 Canadian prime ministers since the government took it over in 1951. But damage has persisted for decades. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien once had to show reporters how buckets were needed to catch rainwater leaking through the roof. It wasn't until after a storm blew off parts of the roof that he got necessary repairs.
"For years, neglect has left the prime minister's official residence riddled with mold, cracked windows, broken plumbing, and an electrical system considered a fire hazard," Carney said, as quoted by The Guardian. By 2023, the National Capital Commission (NCC), the agency preserving heritage buildings in Ottawa, had to close the residence due to numerous safety risks. In 2024, the NCC said it had removed asbestos, mold, lead, and dead rats, leaving the building empty with estimated costs of roughly 40 million Canadian dollars for full renovation and upgrades. Carney said the final cost is hard to estimate as it depends heavily on the design.
"This is a symbol of the public office of the head of the federal government and democratic traditions. But it has not been cared for with the respect it deserves," Carney said. "Now it is in critical condition."
Since the building became uninhabitable, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family chose to live at Rideau Cottage, a 158-year-old building originally for the Governor General's secretary. Carney continues that tradition, currently staying at Rideau Cottage. He stressed he will never live at 24 Sussex because the reconstruction timeline is too long for a political term.
"We are temporary stewards," he said. "We don't own them. We serve to serve Canadians, and we have a responsibility to leave things better than we found them."
Legendary architect Moshe Safdie, who designed many of Canada's most famous buildings, will chair the jury evaluating the designs. "This is an extraordinary site with extraordinary potential," Safdie said. "Something wonderful can be developed here."
