The federal government will soon drape Centre Block with a trompe l’oeil covering that will replicate the visage of the historic Parliament Hill building during its ongoing rehabilitation.

Work to install the $3.9-million covering will begin later this spring, starting with the north side, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).

French for “deceive the eye,” trompe l’oeil refers to an artistic technique that attempts to mimic three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface.

The idea of shrouding Centre Block with a large trompe l’oeil tarp — a method of obscuring construction work that’s popular in Europe — has been around since at least 2016, when it was pitched by Ottawa Tourism as a way of maintaining the Peace Tower’s look during the decade-long rehabilitation efforts.

At the time, there were concerns about the price, with the National Capital Commission noting such coverings can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ottawa Tourism issued a similar call in 2018, hoping to preserve the Peace Tower’s Instagrammable “money shot” for future visitors to the nation’s capital.

Keeping some semblance of the “crucial icon” will mean a lot to many of Ottawa’s roughly 11 million annual visitors, said Catherine Callary, the vice-president of destination development with the local tourism agency.

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