CONCEPTUAL APPROACH AND FORMAL RESOLUTION
Le Diamant: three places of influence
Several themes animated our reflections on the Théâtre Le Diamant project during the preparation of our application. Among them: the symbolic and signage presence of Le Diamant in the public space and in Quebec City; the architectural anchoring of the theater on Place D'Youville and Place D'Aiguillon (bus terminal); the formal and functional redefinition of these future performance spaces in connivance and complementarity with Le Diamant the future of the YMCA, a building of interest, in a highly visible heritage, social and cultural context; the evocation of the art deco period of the former Cinéma de Paris through patterns and reflective surfaces. These themes generate our conceptual approach focused on radiation. They feed our responses to the urban, architectural, spatial and functional challenge of this project, and what a challenge it is: to materialize, in a vast but enclosed site, a stimulating and unexpected living environment, conducive to research, creation and dissemination, by deploying multiple functions according to their private and public character, their formal autonomy and their functional requirements.
The conceptual approach: setting the table for creation and identity
Our conceptual approach consists of creating an inspiring canvas for Robert Lepage, where he will express himself and intervene. We want to pursue with him, together, the conception of a project with a bold identity, which affirms, materializes and promotes the idea of Le Diamant and its influence.
To combine the fragility of a YMCA to be preserved and enhanced with the immensity of a performance hall to be architected and staged, to "create space" in an enclosed site and to offer potential for appropriation, transformation and experimentation, this is the mission that motivates us. Our intention: to create a space of interconnections and circulations that insinuates itself between the real and the imaginary. A space that connects Place D'Youville to Place D'Aiguillon, that takes an active place in the public space and that gives back to the YMCA the importance of its architecture. A space whose multiple paths orient visitors and lead them from public spaces to those of dissemination and creation. A space that reconciles all the architectural scales of a highly visible urban project. "Creating space", or "building the void", in the narrow gap between a neo-classical architecture with stone heritage facades and an opaque broadcasting hall with an unchanging volumetry, affirms a clear position regarding the future of the YMCA. To open up the space, we decided to insert a diagonal of light through the old building, truncating it, while keeping the essential, the most evocative, significant and structuring: the brick partition walls with their arches. This straightforward gesture clears the space, frees up volumes, offers exterior and interior walls for appropriation, exploration and representation. It defines architectural paths to be scenographed.
This first diagonal is the organizational leitmotif of Le Diamant. Irradiating on all levels in the form of a glass panel, it defines three singular places of influence: the YMCA, a place evocative of the past and conducive to animation, encounters and exchanges that revive the public space; the creative void, a hybrid space with multiple facets, a sensor of radiation and movement and a generator of architectural paths and scenographic explorations between the YMCA and the performance hall, from Place D'Youville to Place D'Aiguillon; and, as a place of all possible theatrical, circus, musical and operatic performances, the auditorium, monolithic, textured and reflective on the outside, transformable, folded and captivating on the inside.
The urban approach: the founding accident
The urban and historical analysis of Place D'Youville, the crossroads between Lower Town and Old Quebec, and the discovery of an "accident of course" in the urban fabric support our conceptual hypotheses by linking the built landscape of the larger site and the architectural concepts of Le Diamant. This "accident de parcours" that structures part of Place D'Youville is based, on the one hand, on the position and orientation of the fortification wall at this location. At its junction with the Saint-Jean gate, the wall forces the eponymous street to fork between the off-wall and on-wall portions, which creates a misalignment in an otherwise orthogonal urban grid while ensuring the continuity and primacy of Saint-Jean street over the secondary streets (see site plan). The "accidental route" is also due to the fact that, whether it is a morphological coincidence or a topographical incidence, the côte d'Abraham follows the same alignment as the fortification wall, truncating the Bell building to smoothly join Saint-Jean Street. This position of the fortification thus plays a dynamic role in the urban development of Place D'Youville and its surroundings, including the Capitol. A structuring diagonal of the built landscape is revealed. This second diagonal serves as a volumetric and urban leitmotif for Le Diamant.
The architectural approach: a parametric design unifying the three sites
Bridging D'Youville and D'Aiguillon squares, a glass volume emerges from the roof through and behind the YMCA, which it frames in the background. This volume, which opens onto a roof terrace that it partially covers, acts as an urban lantern. On the D'Youville side, the volume becomes a glass prism and evokes the missing portion of the "Y". It re-establishes a certain formal symmetry by reflecting, from certain angles and at certain times of the day, the last bay of the existing façade. A subtle allusion to the old. This prism defines and signals the entrance to Le Diamant and forms its marquee. On the D'Aiguillon side, in the extension of the prism, the projection of the glass volume sets up a multi-stage scenographic device, facing the redeveloped public space. Taking advantage of the open spaces inside on all levels, an immense glass surface is offered to creative appropriation and representation. Reminiscent of certain Lepagian devices, the superimposed interior passageways are waiting to be exploited. On the Place D'Aiguillon, facing the ticket booth and removable bleachers, movable walls can open up the entire protected façade of the first floor to make an urban stage and let the new public square enter the foyer.
The interaction of the two diagonals (the glass panel and the accident of the urban grid) forms public spaces of transition and continuity between the D'Youville and D'Aiguillon squares and the performance hall. It instills a surprising spatial dynamism between the imposing volumetry of the hall and the stone facades and brick partition walls of another era. In order to reconcile the old and the new, it takes as its support the redevelopment of the two squares into a new cultural crossroads, according to their morphological and historical founding lines.
The volumetry of the Diamond takes into account the YMCA not as a disembodied and factitious stele, but as a dynamic and striking building. The "Y" is thus integrated in spatiality, volumetry and materiality to the whole. It is important that the three places of influence, intertwined on the inside, find an equally close synergy on the outside. To do this, the interpretation of the mansard roof of the "Y" serves as the first device. Its original volumetry is restored in a contemporary way in a simple glass volume, clad with a hyper-high performance perforated concrete screen - an innovation in construction -, equipped with large skylights. The ingenuity of this roof lies in the parametric development of the molded pattern of its perforation - a design innovation. The designed pattern, an evocation of the art deco period, can be easily modified with a computer program, allowing the parametric façade to be shaped according to Robert Lepage's inspiration. Pattern, density of perforations, thickness, color and texture will become pretexts for creation.
Studio 1, which emerges from the roof, and the auditorium are covered with the same material, the same pattern being molded into the mass of concrete, the color being adjustable as needed. On the walls of the glass volume between the YMCA and the auditorium, patterns are silk-screened in transparency or translucency, allowing for solar shading.
Inside, the YMCA and the auditorium assert themselves in relation to the project's third place of influence, the creative void, through their respective materiality. Open to this void, the YMCA interiors are warm. Their thick, preserved brick dividing walls and new wood flooring and ceilings evoke the spirit of the place. In contrast, the opaque volume of the auditorium is clad with a high-performance concrete wall, textured with a parametric pattern. Between the two, the void is asserted by the light, the reflective and smooth surfaces and the movement of the staircases and gangways that run through it.
The scenographic approach: the versatility of the accesses and the simplicity of the fittings
The scenographic approach for the layout of the hall, the stage and the technical functions is based on the conceptual and architectural approaches. In order to provide Robert Lepage with a framework for experimentation, it was necessary to free up spaces, surfaces and walls along the Glacis façade and to relocate functions that were planned for the PFT. The level of the control rooms was raised by one floor to free up access to the foyer and the auditorium and to formalize the creative void. The cross-section illustrating this layout shows the effective viewing angles provided by the raised floor of the control rooms. Depending on the scenographic requirements and the position of the overhead crane, an open control room can be set up in the foyer, between the access locks to the hall. The technicians' offices have been placed on top of the control rooms and provided with a walkway. The technical team is thus gathered at the back of the hall on two levels linked by a connecting staircase and ladders at the ends of the walkways. On the hall side, the team is in direct contact with the gangways, the bridge crane and the technical grid. On the foyer side, it has access to its premises via the corridors, staircases, elevators and freight elevator that serve the entire theater. It is also close to the creation and administration teams, the studios, the kitchenette and the terrace. A living environment will be established there with conviviality.
The floor of the stage room is level with the main entrance to facilitate the movement of visitors, but also the movement of equipment boxes that could occasionally transit through Place D'Youville. The freight elevator was positioned off stage, beyond the exit staircase, to ensure a perfect acoustic seal on stage. Thanks to this judicious location, the exit staircase can be brought to the second basement, thus avoiding any hindrance to loading and unloading operations. Serving all levels, the freight elevator can be used as a complement to the passenger elevator for intimate shows or cocktail parties held in Studio 1 or on the terrace. The passenger elevator was juxtaposed to it: grouping together the vertical transports in this way frees up the back of the hall and makes it possible to insert huge 6-meter high doors in direct link with the reception and the foyers on the first floor. This organization allows one to imagine a huge banquet that would put all the public spaces to use, or a festive indoor-outdoor evening in relation to the Place D'Aiguillon, whose topography will have been brought down to the level of the hall, the stage and the foyers.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
- the image of the Diamond is well done; the glass volume, a luminous sculpture, offers an identity force to the image of the Diamond, Ex Machina and the world of entertainment;
- the strength of the architectural approach lies in the treatment of the setting of the Diamond; the notion of creative emptiness is interesting but generates superfluous spaces;
- the modernized version of the mansard roof is elegant from the inside but weakens the integrity of the YMCA's volume; transparency should be reserved for the volume/sculpture cutting through the site
- the glass axis through the project ties the two plazas together; encroachments on the sidewalk may be problematic
- the technical resolution of the PFT demonstrates a good knowledge and expertise in production and performance spaces;
- the reduction of commercial space as proposed represents a handicap to the realization of the project;
- the redesign of the square in front of the Royal Bank, on the Rue des Glacis side, leads to a modification of the levels which is not admissible in this competition;
- the decision to treat the facades of the YMCA as a decoration on the technological glass volume represents a bold gesture in terms of heritage integration;
- the basic idea of the proposal is very attractive and offers a good potential for development; it is a founding idea for Le Diamant.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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