The approach
The theater is presented as a contemporary landmark, a symbol of a new reality within a meaningful whole. Of simple composition, its form seems to result from the long shaping of the river.
Volumetry and materiality
The theater is a simple composition where four main elements stand out. The roof unfolds in a great kinetic momentum. Its zinc cladding, used on both sides, multiplies the shimmer of the sun and the flashes of light filtering through on show nights. The vertical envelope (the veil) is distinguished by two natures and with a singular expression using a vertical structure of curtain wall where glass and stone are found enclosed in turn, according to the relations to be defined with the place. In the first instance, the glass, at the perimeter of the foyer, while the veil is a transparent filter allowing the communion of the theater with the city and the garden. In a second step, at the perimeter of the technical and administrative block, a marriage of glass and black granite takes the place of the structure. The stone is here hammered with openings randomly arranged according to the nature of the functions. The stage cage that stands in the center of the roof becomes by its presence, by its black granite cladding and by its lighting a real beacon in the heart of the composition. Its monolithic appearance and verticality will henceforth mark the landscape of St. Mary's Street in the same way as the spire of the church or the tower of the City Hall.
(From specialized magazine)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The jury underlined the relevance of the strong architectural parti, its distinctive image and the monumental approach of a "pavilion" architectural object implanted on the urban bases of the corner of Ste-Marie and St-Pierre. This project showed great rigor in planning and a good understanding of the programming. The elegant formal silhouette of the roof and the crescent shape of the foyer raised many questions about the technical feasibility of respecting the objective cost of the project. The balance between the investment in the architectural gesture and the other planning objectives seemed uneven and at odds with the desired intimate, everyday relationship. Similarly, the crescent-shaped form of the foyer offered a beautiful presence on the city, the park and the river, but its elongated form did not seem to respond to the multiple-use potential of this public space.
The location of the administrative spaces (corner of Ste-Marie and St-Pierre) and the consideration of the users' perspective raised many questions. The project's response to the daily scale of use of the monument, as well as the consideration of the views of different types of users and the response to the possibility of the project evolving over time, did not convince the jury.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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