[2] The site of Canada House, Leipziger Platz, was once one of Europe's most elegant squares before it was damaged during the Second World War and later destroyed in preparation for construction of the Berlin Wall.

The overruling of the jury decision was severely criticized by many in the Canadian design community, media and architectural press, and it was widely considered to be government interference motivated by political factors.

The design has been praised by the German press for its "openness", particularly the walkway which allows pedestrians to short-cut through the property on their way to the nearby Potsdamer Platz U-Bahn station.

[4] Materials include Tyndall limestone from Manitoba on the exterior, with Douglas fir from British Columbia, black granite and maple from Quebec, and Eramosa marble from Ontario inside.

[citation needed] Additionally, the Ministère des Relations internationales du Québec maintains a representative office next to the Brandenburg Gate.