Atelier TAG and Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes in consortium
Manon Asselin
Katsuhiro Yamazaki
As an interface between nature and culture, the new Saint-Hubert library celebrates the exceptional poetic force of its location: the library metamorphoses the forest and materializes the presence of the wind. Beyond the architectural allegory, its geometry speaks of the renewable resources of the earth, the wind, the sun and the rain. From west to east its roof scape is shaped by the prevailing winds. The giant cut at its center collects the rainwater in a retention basin while the wood blades of its filigree envelope filter the sunlight. The resulting inner courtyard forms the geographic, social, and perceptual heart of the library. The fluidity of the interior spaces around an exterior common space facilitates serendipitous encounters and catalyzes human relations, fulfilling the role of the public library in the 21st century as meeting place for its community.
Photo: © Julien Perron-Gagné
Photo: © Marc Cramer
Photo: © Marc Cramer
Photo: © Marc Cramer
Photo: © Julien Perron-Gagné
"The building’s response to its unique park setting is greatly appreciated. As a courtyard building, it achieves a scale that is befitting to the park. It also forms a crucible for social interaction, amidst a loose suburban fabric. Light and visual transparency are celebrated in this inventive, economical, and thoroughly rigorous architectural design."