Vanier, Ontario
The Lourdes Grotto brings together sacred and secular space in a unique and profound way. It is tucked in the middle of a residential area of Vanier, one of the boroughs that comprise the region of Ottawa/Carleton. Unlike most holy spaces I have seen, which tend to be either indoors or located in an isolated location away from daily noise and activity, this grotto is an open space. Other than a small chain link fence, there is nothing to separate the grotto from the surrounding community.
The ambience of the city becomes an integral part of the space. Back at the turn of the century when the Grotto was placed here, it was much more isolated. Since that time, the city has grown up around it. It is no longer the island of silent contemplation that it was one hundred years ago.
A sign upon entering the grotto requests that people be silent. A paradoxical request, in the middle of a city which is never still. It is located just a block away from Montreal Road, a busy thoroughfare that links the centre of the city to the east.
It is not surprising that this grotto is in Vanier, the heart of Frencn culture in the city of Ottawa. And of course, the Catholic Church remains at the heart of French culture, even for many Francophones who no longer call themselves Catholic. The influence of the Church remains.
The space of the grotto and the space of the streets overlap here. There is no acoustic separation between the two. What do the sounds mean when two different worlds meet?
This is a place where there is no separation between world and spirit. A retreat space for contemplation without walls in the centre of city noise.
Sounds of the Grotto
Urban streetscape - cars with gentle traffic [Listen]
Urban streetscape - lawnmowers with cicadas
[Listen]
Sunday Mass - Alleluia [Listen]
Sunday mass with planes and cicadas [Listen]
Individual sound walks
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