+ The proximity of a train station , a school, a youth center and a park along the boulevard Gouin led the municipal authorities to implement a new community center facilitating the integration of new citizens with the help of social organizations and volunteers.
To avoid institutionnal stigmatization, the project adopts the morphology of commercial buildings built along the boulevard during the last few decades: a e one story buiding with large fenestration and a overhanging roof on small columns. This voluntary simplicity enabled us to provide the project with a green roof, an outdoor bandstand and a stage-house with a motorized technical grid even though they were not envisionned in the program.
Using the notion of camouflage, the project explores the possibility to formulate an architectural language suited for a public building at the crossroad of vernacular commercial buildings and the miesian ideal. A cladding of silicon coated glass panels and a glossy powder coating on aluminium plates were chosen for their resistance to graffiti. The building remains, a few years later, pristine and untouched by the expression of resentfulness on public property.
The authorities were concerned by the apparent frailness of the project that doesn’t rely on the robustness of masonry to resist abuse. We like to think that this defensive attitude may be perceived as a form of provocation by those who just want more justice and beauty in this world. The center includes a multipurpose room for 150 persons, classrooms of different sizes and a communal kitchen.
Les architectes FABG Les architectes FABG have collaborated over the last 50 years to the success of numerous significant projects in several fields of the architectural practice. The firm regroups about 15 persons with diversified and complementary competences.
Éric Gauthier, it's head designer, has played a major role in the renewal of Québec 's cultural equipments leading a dozen theater and performance center projects. He also collaborated with the Cirque du Soleil on the development of their headquarters and production center in Montréal.
André Brodeur - MOAQ, partner arch.
Éric Gauthier - MOAQ, IRAC, partner arch.
André Lavoie - MOAQ, partner arch
5402, boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montréal, Québec H2T 1S1
tél 514.274.7555
fax 514.274.3646
info@arch-fabg.com Additional document:
For more information :
www.arch-fabg.com Photo: Steve Montpetit
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