City of Life: Re-Imagining the ByWard Market

Markets have long been vibrant intersections of trade, sensory experience, and social encounter, yet in many North American cities including Ottawa, postwar suburban planning and the rise of supermarkets have eroded their role as lively urban anchors. This thesis asks whether the loss of the dynamic urban market is inevitable, and if not, what architectural strategies might sustain it? The project re-imagines the ByWard Market by proposing a new building for farmers and food sellers while redefining the existing ByWard Market Hall as a cultural space. The thesis explores architectural form, program, and circulation patterns, with a view to discovering an architecture capable of supporting a viable urban market for the present. While providing an array of market spaces, this design proposition strives to bring sensory richness and social vibrancy to Ottawa’s historic market neighbourhood. This thesis studies architectural arrangements that reconcile informality and spontaneity with year-round urban presence.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Liu, Mu Qu Jennifer

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2026 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, distribution to students, research and scholarship. Theses may only be shared by linking to the Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be copied without proper attribution to the author; no part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2026-17190

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/45347