In 1912, at the request of the Sulpicians, the architect Eugène Payette designed the Saint-Sulpice building in the Beaux-Arts style during an architectural competition. It will be used by university researchers, students and the general public. The library, located rue Saint-Denis in Montreal, was acquired in 1941 by the Quebec government because of the architectural quality of the building and the collections it housed. In fact, what was then called the "Saint-Sulpice Collection" collection was made up of a very rich documentary corpus from Quebec and abroad: the Québec heritage portion forms the basis of the national collection when the Bibliothèque nationale was created in 1967.
The building then changes its name and becomes the Bibliothèque National du Québec. Twenty years later, the building is classified as a historical monument. In 2004, the Grande Bibliothèque du Québec project brought a transfer of the national collection as well as the Saint-Sulpice collection to the new building of boulevard de Maisonneuve. The building on St-Denis Street was then sold to the Université du Québec à Montréal, which put it on sale two years later. Opposition to a private transfer of the heritage building brings the Government of Quebec to buy the building.
This project aims to give the Saint-Sulpice library its original function of sharing knowledge, exploring knowledge and breaking down social barriers, but in a renewed form that revolves around two major complementary axes. :
- A space of innovation and creation centered on new technologies and aimed at a diversified clientele (medialab and fablab).
- A space specifically dedicated for teenagers (library).
The development of the new functions within the Saint-Sulpice Library must take into account the sometimes dichotomous needs of the various clienteles and the multiple activities that can be realized simultaneously or successively, at very different times and with groups of different sizes. In addition, it is essential that the space can be flexible and adaptable according to the different needs and technologies that will appear during its existence. In this context, several issues and challenges emerge from the redevelopment and transformation project of the Saint-Sulpice Library to accommodate its new functions.
Beyond the functionalities, programs and services, the central objective of the laboratory-library is to set up an integrated environment allowing all its users to become acquainted with new technologies through experimentation, creativity and innovation, in order to be able to translate these learnings into real life. It must support the concrete discovery of fields of interest that can also contribute to the emergence of passions, choices or career changes, personal or group commitments in the context of discussions or societal debates.
(From competition program)
(Unofficial automated translation)
During the review of one of the entries, the technical committee raised a possible violation of section 11.2 of Addendum #11 regarding the minimum percentage of the self-supporting racking structure to be retained. The clarifications and explanations of the finalist during the interview allowed the jury to note that the minimum percentage was indeed respected.
Also, the technical committee noted that some finalists had increased the floor area of the building by adding structures to create additional usable space. Given that in all cases, this was done within the built perimeter of the building, the jury considered that they did not constitute expansions in terms of section 11.3 of the addendum.
It was then agreed that the four finalists' proposals were admissible and could be evaluated by the jury.
To begin the discussions, it was proposed that a round table discussion be held so that each member of the jury could share the results of his or her initial personal evaluations, mentioning the project that had merited the best evaluation and, conversely, the one that had performed least well. This first exercise revealed that for 5 members of the jury the best preliminary evaluation was awarded to the project of the in situ + DMA team. For the one that achieved the least objectives, opinions were rather divided.
The members of the jury then held detailed discussions on the four proposals and with regard to the seven judging criteria established in the regulations, namely
- Integration of the seven design criteria of the ideation committee;
- Scope of the interventions on a heritage building;
- Functional aspects;
- Sustainable development:
- Innovation;
- Technical quality and constructability;
- Feasibility.
After these discussions and reflections, the members of the jury have unanimously designated the project of the team of: in situ atelier d'architecture + DMA architectes as the winning project.
The members of the jury have all signed the nomination of the winner and recommend to the promoter the multidisciplinary team: in situ atelier d'architecture + DMA architectes / Cosigma / Latéral /Bouthillette Parizeau, as the winner of the competition.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
BAnQ Saint-Sulpice : dévoilement du lauréat du concours d'architecture, La Fabrique culturelle, 2017
La bibliothèque Saint-Sulpice de retour dans le giron de BAnQ, BAnQ, 2016
Concours d’architecture pour BAnQ Saint-Sulpice : le consortium lauréat est in situ + DMA, BAnQ, 2017
Concours d'architecture pour BAnQ Saint-Sulpice : le consortium lauréat est in situ + DMA, Québec Portal, 2017
BAnQ Saint-Sulpice : choix des finalistes du concours, Voir Vert, 2017, http://www.voirvert.ca/nouvelles/rubriques/banq-saint-sulpice-choix-finalistes-du-concours
Le consortium in situ + DMA remporte le concours BAnQ Saint-Sulpice, Index-Design.ca, 2017
Choix de quatre finalistes au concours d'architecture pour BAnQ Saint-Sulpice, Faire Montréal, 2017
Cambron-Goulet, Dominique, Bibliothèque Saint-Sulpice: Moderniser le patrimoine, Métro, 2017
Charlebois, Mathieu, Le patrimoine, c’est compliqué, L’actualité, 2015
Décarie, Pierre-Luc, BAnQ Saint-Sulpice : dévoilement du lauréat du concours d'architecture!, BAnQ Saint-Sulpice, 2017
Doyon, Frédérique, Québec récupère Saint-Sulpice, Le Devoir, 2007, Montréal
Desautels, Marianne, La bibliothèque Saint-Sulpice, un musée d'histoire naturelle?, Radio-Canada.ca, 2015
Lessard, Denis, Édifice Saint-Sulpice: le projet de bibliothèque fait du surplace, La Presse, 2017
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, BAnQ Saint-Sulpice, 2018
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, BAnQ Saint-Sulpice : dévoilement du lauréat du concours d'architecture
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Lancement du concours d’architecture pour BAnQ Saint-Sulpice, BAnQ, 2017
Saint-Louis, René, Le labo multimédia pour ados ouvre ses portes à la Grande Bibliothèque, 2016, Radio-Canada.ca
