DIACHRONIC DIALOGUES
The project reinterprets in a contemporary way the historical stratification of the Îlot des Palais. The coexistence of the two palaces, which never took place in the course of history, becomes the pretext for a contemporary dialogue between the archaeological remains of the first intendant's palace and the volume of the second palace, erected on its original foundations.
On the south side, a "showcase building" draws the limit of the block towards rue Saint-Vallier. The decision to extend the Jean Talon Pavilion to the western alignment of the second palace was based on two main considerations. Firstly, this decision is based on the desire to give Saint-Vallier Street an importance that corresponds to its historical role as the founding route of the city. Secondly, it makes it possible to establish the presence of a real porte cochère, the first element of the "porte cochère - cour d'honneur - escalier" system, which constitutes the transition sequence towards the performance spaces planned for the site of the second Palais. We believe that a weak pole at this end of the ceremonial alley, as foreseen in the project program, would compromise its very identity.
Opposite the Jean-Talon pavilion, this volume with a "porous" first floor, is opposed by the monolithic block of the "new Palais".
An "open" block
The entire heart of the block is then opened up and three distinct public spaces structure it.
From Saint-Nicolas street, a "filter space" invites visitors to enter the site by crossing a vegetated wall and tree plantations. These elements, together with the café of the Jean-Talon pavilion, draw the interface between the street and the block.
The second space, the courtyard of honor, is the real heart of the block. The configuration and the mode of implantation of the Jean-Talon pavilion allow the framing of this free space, characterized by the simplicity and the regularity of its form. As flooring for the main courtyard, we propose to reuse, in the form of crushed stone or paving, the red bricks of the Boswell brewery cold storage.
Finally, the western portion of the block is occupied by the blue garden, a planted space reminiscent of the position of the Intendant's palace gardens.
A window on the remains
The presence of the remains of the first palace guided the design of the Jean Talon Pavilion. The new building unfolds as a true showcase that envelops the old walls and contributes to establishing a dialogue between these elements and the public space.
The enhancement of the remains is accentuated by the structural system envisaged for the Jean Talon Pavilion. Rigid frames whose vertical supports are placed outside the perimeter of the remains, support the multimedia room and the exhibition spaces that "float" above them. This "light" method of intervention ensures the protection of the remains, while leaving a great deal of room for manoeuvre for the museologists in terms of their future development.
The wooden volume containing the exhibition spaces is superimposed on the footprint of the first palace. Its treatment evokes various elements of the original building (order of the openings, ridge and break of the roof), while opposite, the silk-screened glass skin reproduces the image transmitted to us by ancient iconography.
The tour of the Jean Talon Pavilion begins in the lobby at the west end of the building. Visitors go up to the first level and cross over the remains, inside the wooden shell, first in the multimedia room and then in a first section of the permanent exhibition. In these rooms, openings in the floor give a bird's eye view of certain sections of the remains. The itinerary continues with a descent to the remains of the old palace, passing first over the original 1750 paving of Saint-Vallier Street and then, in the "heart" of the permanent exhibition, through a system of walkways and floors that can be arranged according to the chosen museological concept. On exiting the "room" of remains, you will have access to the second part of the permanent exhibition installed in the basement and, possibly during phase 2, to the vaults of the second Palais. The return to the exit is done by walking along the outside of the remains on the courtyard side until you reach the store, where you finally return to the hall.
A play of tensions between the two "palaces"
The "new palace" takes the form dictated by the archaeological remains and the images that have come down to us. The massive presence of this building, whose existence was the closest to our time, contrasts with that of the first palace, a "ghost" evoked by a construction that tends towards lightness and dematerialization.
The idea of the double skin proposed for the first palace is taken up here, but the role of glass is reversed. The interior glass skin constitutes the real envelope of the building and is covered by a second layer of stone. The subtle treatment of the stone slabs takes up the shape, dimensions and rhythm of the openings of the original building. The reading of this volume will be contrasted and will vary according to the time of day: natural lighting will reveal a mineral mass discreetly modulated by the varied inclination of the stone slats, while at night, the artificial interior lighting will clearly reveal the "trace" of the openings of the old palace.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
1st prize: 2748-3951, Bélanger Beauchemin, architects and Anne Vallières, architect
This project stands out for having best answered the greatest number of questions posed by the competition. In the first analysis, it already stood out for having engaged in a reflection on the relationship between the two pavilions and for having considered the challenge of treating the second palace. A closer look at the project confirmed this, as the analysis of all the proposals developed and the debate progressed, and made it possible to highlight the high level of sophistication of the project despite a rather mixed graphic expressiveness. The articulation of the spaces, both interior and exterior, and the way they complement each other to enrich the visual links between what happens in the museum center and in the urban space appealed to the jury. The large wooden box suspended over the line of the missing buildings provides a convincing answer to many of the project's challenges. The tour sequence is well controlled and the spaces skillfully proportioned. The restoration area, which at first glance seems to break the geometry of the whole, turns out to be one of the key elements of the composition by regulating the routes and surrounding the most important public spaces. The high visibility of the remains, which are the primary reason for the museum center, both from the main courtyard and from St-Vallier Street, is a significant advantage for attracting visitors and animating the public space. As a corollary, the natural light from which the remains benefit, combined with the height of the space that contains them, will offer a generosity that will allow the museum center to position itself favorably on the market in addition to other similar institutions. The materials chosen and their skillful use eloquently help to articulate a clear position on how to deal with the history of the site without becoming locked into it. However, the lack of consideration for the industrial memory of the site, common to most of the other projects, and the unresolved architectural expression of the second palace have raised concerns. The lightness of the structure and the treatment of the roof, which is very visible from the fortifications, are two aspects of the project that require particular attention. Finally, the jury is of the opinion that the project can be amended without any problem and even improved in its development, without having to question its qualities.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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