A New 'Parkitecture': Re-Imagining the Interpretive Centre as an Interactive Route in Algonquin Provincial Park

Abstract

This thesis addresses the anthropocentric history of wilderness parks in Canada. It investigates architecture in actively interpreting the cultural layers inherent of these landscapes while promoting recreational tourism. The study focuses on Algonquin Park in Ontario, made famous by the Group of Seven painters at the beginning of the twentieth century. My critique is aimed at the systematic erasure of human inhabitation in the park. This thesis is also a critique on interpretive facilities that attempt to educate visitors on the history through passive exhibitions. This thesis proposes a new typology of interpretive centre- in the form of a route- that integrates the user into the landscape and engages them in activities that implicitly educate them on the human history. The proposal is meant to show a forward thinking park architecture that is not only appropriate to Algonquin Park, but one that advocates for cultural sustainability in Canadas parks today.