![Image Bill Kent, CWM](/web/20061029113752im_/http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/images/eximages/regeneration.jpg)
Exhibitions and Galleries
Regeneration Hall
Located behind the north face of the open storage, the highest point in
the museum is called Regeneration Hall. This strikingly narrow space
features angled walls that tower dramatically over visitors.
As visitors enter the Hall from the permanent exhibition on the upper
level, subdued lighting slows their pace, forcing them to pause as their
eyes adjust. For a moment, they are presented with a tightly framed view
of the Peace Tower silhouetted against the sky through a narrow window. As
they descend from the upper level of the Hall to the ground floor, the view
of the Peace Tower disappears, and the plaster model of Walter Allward's
sculpture Hope from the Vimy Memorial comes into view. Other compelling
plaster figures by Allward designed for this Canadian memorial in France
collectively instill a sense of human strength and spirit into the Hall.
Photo: Bill Kent, CWM
Shifting spots of light spelling out "lest we forget" and "n'oublions
jamais" in Morse code animate the north wall. Spiritual without being
religious, Regeneration Hall is quiet, solemn, and memorable: it is a
physical representation of hope for a more peaceful future.