George E. Bemi's earlier works were primarily Modernist buildings, but as his firm matured it evolved a Brutalist style of architecture. Projects such as Sampan Restaurant and Champlain Towers, which both won Ontario Architecture Association awards, exhibit strong modernist qualities: an exposed structure, a minimal and refined palette of materials, a lack of ornamentation, and a grid system. Later works reflect more expressive characteristics of the Brutalist style. The firm's more important government commissions, including the Ottawa Congress Centre and the Ottawa Downtown Library, were part of this later body of work. These projects established Bemi & Associates as one of the leading architecture firms practicing in the National Capital region at the time.
St. Basil’s Church 1960 In 1959, Bemi & Associates hired Tim Murray and from 1960 to 1962 the firm became Bemi, Murray & Associates. In 1960, the firm completed its first major recognized work, St. Basil's Roman Catholic Church. The intimate, circular design fit seating for 700 people within 70 feet of the altar. Due to the close nature of the church, an acoustical study was done to limit echoing. As a result of the study's recommendations, the unique form of the church emerged. The design consisted of undulating walls topped by a thin-shelled concrete dome, sunken so that its centre point lay below grade. The most innovative aspect of the design was that the priest faced the congregation, six years before this was approved by the
Second Vatican Council.
Ottawa Public Library Main Branch The Ottawa Downtown Library is a concrete, sculptural, Brutalist building and was the firm Bemi & Associates’ most notable project. The building replaced the neo-classic Carnegie Library that was demolished due to unstable soil conditions. A 10-foot high
stained glass window was preserved from the Carnegie Library and incorporated into the
foyer of the new library. At the time of its completion in 1973, Canadian Architect wrote of the project: "In the middle of this urban desert, George Bemi’s Ottawa Public Library sits as an unexpected and welcome relief". The white,
precast concrete stands in contrast to the surrounding glass office towers and preserves the identity of the library. Due to its compact nature it became the first building in
North America to lease its air rights, a controversial legal problem at the time. It is once again the subject of debate over its size. Critics of the library say it is too small, outdated, and inaccessible to function as the main library branch. While proponents of the building claim that it is Ottawa's best surviving example of Brutalist architecture.
Ottawa Congress Centre The Ottawa Congress Centre was designed by a
consortium of Bemi, Pye, and Richards Architects Associated and was opened by
Pierre Elliot Trudeau in 1983. It was a tight design problem, bounded by a bridge to the South, Daly Street to the North, and the
Rideau Centre to the East. Situated on the former railway lands, the project was part of a revitalization initiative for the downtown core. The building itself was Brutalist style architecture, consisting of intersecting terraces of textured concrete. It was lauded for its integration into the site and the inclusion of public artworks, containing a
mural by the Canadian artist David Gerry Partridge. The Ottawa Congress Centre was demolished between 2008 and 2009 and a new Convention Centre, designed by Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects (BBB Architects), opened in 2011.
Terry Fox Elementary School Designed in 1979, the Terry Fox Elementary School was an exploration in plug-in, plug-out architecture. The main hub of the school was fixed, while the
classroom wings were prefabricated, detachable units that could be added to the hub as the school's population increased. At the time, the
Ottawa School Board was expanding rapidly and many students were being taught in temporary, portable structures. The design was awarded the
American Association of School Administrators’ Educational Design Award for its innovative attempt to create flexible, portable classrooms that are simultaneously comfortable and aesthetic. ==Other notable projects==