Challenges and concept
To fit into the existing
to compose the old aesthetic in the present time; to emphasize the masonry volumes, by creating a dynamic tension between these masses and those which are added to them;
to give the theater a distinctive image that is nevertheless dependent on the large horizontal composition of the College.
To bring the new theater into the spotlight
create a place that takes emotion to the next level
to create a space where the spectator comes to meet musicians, actors, magicians...
to give to the Stars, the Companies and the Troupes a room where they will feel above all the presence of those who only ask to be seduced, where they will be supported by a flawless technique
to make this theater an autonomous and convivial installation for the entire population of the Haut-Richelieu.
Parti
A theater that is now free of its ties to the College.
A theater that nevertheless preserves the memory of the place, that relies on an understanding of the context, on a dialogue with the existing.
A new space that brings together past and present, a void that brings people together.
A place of passage that relies on transparency and fluidity.
A room that is renewed, that brings the actor closer to his audience, that gives him an adequate instrument.
Approach
At the beginning, to locate the entrance, to sculpt it in the mass of the volume which shelters the new services of the theater, to direct it according to the arrival of the spectators. To allow an immediate reading of it by playing on the contrast of the intense lighting which springs from the shade; a crystal of light in the case of the night.
Then, to give shape to this mass, to anchor it to the place by a terracotta masonry, dark gray, which stands out on the background of clear masonry preserved.
To house the ancillary spaces essential to the life of the theater. To find there the evocation of the camera obscura, precursor of the Italian theater, that we will find inside.
Then, behind the stage, a bit like the caravans of the acrobats, the artists' quarters are grouped around a meeting space, the green room. The whole is wrapped in masonry that links them to the original building, while standing out from it by the contrast of the tones.
Between these two masses, a crevice: the artists' entrance, the entrance of the support staff, close to the stage. This crack then opens up, revealing a segmented space that runs along the stone wall of the theater; initially contained by the dark mass of the ancillary block, this space unfolds to then receive the incursion of the backstage area on the courtyard side and continue its course towards a space of light, towards the foyer that opens onto the campus and the city.
A work of art, a signal that wants to link the art of space to the arts of the stage. Composing with the garden and the artists' entrance.
Two landings, a sequence of fluid spaces, direct the spectator towards the hall and allow him, during an intermission, to play his own role and who knows, perhaps to applaud the role of others; the foyer becomes an open stage on the city.
The architecture embraces this movement; light, clad in copper, it frames immaterial walls of glass, supporting the progression from the theater entrance to the hall. The geometry of the roofs reflects the sequence of these spaces. And beyond the roofs, the stage cage, also clad in copper, like the spires, the domes of traditional architecture that float above the masses.
The movement is directed by the staircases that slightly bend the route, allowing the spectators on the floor to easily bypass those heading towards the balcony. Circulation is fluid, towards the hall and towards the services.
The new hall follows the shape given by the existing shell. Initially, the shape was too stilted, too narrow, a little too elongated, poorly dressed. Preserve but adapt, take advantage, by small touches.
The slopes of the floors first, on the parterre and then on the balcony, so that the stage can be seen from everywhere.
Then the seating arrangement, to avoid the fragmentation of the auditorium, the almost deserted impression created by central aisles in a narrow auditorium. A continental layout - nearly 600 seats - which imposes side exits but keeps the entrance at the back of the hall, in the axis, as it should be in an Italian theater.
In the balcony, an entrance directly from the second level of the foyer, which does not give the impression of taking us to heaven. Two hundred seats and a bit more that are now part of the room. Two hundred spectators and more who take part in the party without feeling excluded by a long dark path.
The hall itself is dressed in new clothes; the theatrical décor is set on the stage, but in the hall too, everything is a matter of décor. The wooden cladding reveals, on occasion, the black steel of the catwalks that almost merges with the night sky. The spectator is not fooled; he pays all the attention to the show that the comfort of the hall allows him, but he knows well the complexity of the scenic devices essential to his pleasure and of which some elements are revealed. However, not everything is revealed, as the Italian stage is obligatory. The acoustics of the place too.
On the garden side, at ground level, the deliveries remain as they were, but in an easier to access and maneuver version.
On the courtyard side, a café, perhaps, for the wait before the curtain rises, for the post-show meetings. The place lends itself to it, the animation of the evenings in the theater would gain from it.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The jury appreciated the intervention increasing the autonomy of the new theater from the Cégep. The architectural party of the "fault line" between the old and new theatres reveals a very rich space. The jury also noted the fluidity and generosity of the public reception areas. The jury would also like to highlight the attention paid to the memory of the old theater building thanks to the "archaeological walk".
However, the scale and volumetric complexity of the building in terms of its architectural integration with the current building did not convince the jury. The scenographic option of reconfiguring the hall "continental style" raised many questions. The budget of the proposal also contributed to dissuade the jury from choosing this project.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
89 scanned / 5 viewable
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel Excerpt
- Presentation Panel Excerpt
- Presentation Panel Excerpt
