This project presents a lot of originality and imagination in its architectural expression.
Like the winning bid, this project integrates well with the Place des Arts complex. The jury greatly appreciated the exterior circulation on the northwest side of the esplanade. Other notable elements are the cylindrical lobby, the circulation space opening onto the Wilfrid Pelletier Hall colonnade and the functional relationships of the museum. The masonry proposed for the exterior and interior spaces was particularly noted. In general, the jury appreciated the broken modulation of the large mass, although the low form of the amphitheatre lacks some strength for its prominent position.
Comment by Odile Hénault:
The second project proposes elements that present a certain complexity in plan but lack resolution in the sections and elevations. The entrance rotunda, for example, offers an imaginative solution, an intriguing cylindrical space; however, it closes in on itself at the subway level, without attempting to exploit its inherent potential. The walkway and the auditorium to which it leads also leave something to be desired. However, an interior perspective showing the museum's main staircase, with its obviously careful design, indicates the creative direction this project could have taken if enough time and attention had been given to the facades and the proportions of the various building bodies.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
