In Search of a Soul

A great architect's personal account of conceiving, designing and building the new Canadian War Museum, a homage to the courage of all Canadians.

"It's astonishing," says historian Jack Granatstein of Raymond Moriyama's design for the new Canadian War Museum. "There is a context, there's understanding, there's intelligence...This is the best museum in the whole world. Without question."

In Search of a Soul is revered architect Moriyama's personal account of conceiving and creating this important -- perhaps iconic -- national monument, which opened to great acclaim on May 8, 2005, the sixtieth anniversary of VE Day.

Illustrated throughout with full-colour plans, drawings and photos, it is a compelling story of one architect's commitment to a vision, and to the country that provided his inspiration. "How can architecture reflect the ambience of battle without overpowering the visitor or glorifying war? What is Canadian? What does war mean?" Moriyama explores the difficult questions he wrestled with as the design took shape. In this bold new museum -- and equally bold book -- a great Canadian artist challenges us to address these troubling questions.