By Alexandre Simard
Espace Péribonka is a contemporary consolidation of history and culture in the village of Péribonka, on the banks of Quebec’s Lac Saint-Jean. Founded in 1888, the Village of Péribonka is home to approximately 500 residents, but its historic and cultural significance as a colonial settlement extends well beyond its tiny stature.
The development of the Péribonka tourist site represents a $17 million, multi-governmental investment in a multifunctional complex, a new fire station, and a rejuvenation of the Louis-Hémon Museum. Maîtres d’Œuvre Architectes (MDO) was awarded the mandate as part of a public tender process, presenting their conceptual vision as a fresh new approach to previous proposals.
After receiving carte blanche approval, the firm focused on infusing a “wow” effect into the design of a project that would integrate into the fabric of the town and its natural surroundings. The project included the preservation and rejuvenation of existing buildings, including a church that was designated as the new home of the museum. Along with its community requirements, a key focus of Espace Péribonka was to develop an appealing tourist destination within the core of the municipality. That focus was achieved through the design of multifunctional spaces that address all stakeholder needs, with transparency and seamless connections between the buildings and spaces of the site.
Relocating
Adding to the challenge, MDO assisted the client and worked with the Quebec Ministry of Culture to gain permission to relocate an existing cultural heritage structure to the new site.
Maison Samuel-Bédard, a historic home built in 1903 approximately 6 km (3.7 miles) from the Espace Péribonka, is symbolic of early colonial settlement in the region. To address the ambitious proposal, the parties agreed upon a temporary declassification of the heritage site to relocate it to a new protective inner courtyard at Espace Péribonka, and then reclassifying it in its original splendour.
The relocation of the house was a project in itself. A thorough structural assessment was conducted to ensure it could be moved. Consequently, it was decided to separate the building into two distinct structures to facilitate the relocation. A new foundation was constructed before the move. The construction of this foundation required very precise technical surveys, considering the house, dating back several decades, was not orthogonal. The MDO team worked closely with a local specialized building moving company and the relevant authorities to ensure road safety throughout the journey. The relocation required the disconnection and reconnection of several electrical or telecommunication wires that crossed the road and conflicted with the height of the house during transport. The relocation took place at night to minimize impacts on the road, as it is a normally busy regional route.
Tackling challenges
One of the main challenges involves creating a multifunctional complex that highlights, protects, restores, makes accessible, and gives visibility to this heritage house.
The transparent corridor links the church and museum with the newly constructed Town Hall, with the latter housing civic functions and services including a library, administrative offices, and more. At the onset of the project, the client commissioned studies to assess the condition of existing buildings, and it was determined the existing Town Hall had become increasingly dysfunctional due to structural decline. In response, MDO designed a bright, lively, and spacious new Town Hall to host the municipal library and a variety of community organizations and functions.
A major challenge to the design concept was it had to be articulated within the framework of multiple environmental considerations, including natural elements and noise pollution inherent to the site’s location along a major regional access road. In keeping with the embrace of extensive transparency for the project, the firm developed a glass curtain wall as an inviting exposé of the new library.
To address the consequential presence of direct sunlight, MDO collaborated with Sollertia, a design and construction firm specializing in tensile architecture, to develop custom sunscreens to protect the interior of the new library on the second floor, while taking into account the strength and direction of prevailing winds, as well as preserving its panoramic views.
As a result, the glass curtain wall offers not only transparency into the interior, but also breathtaking perspectives outward upon the Péribonka River, a major tributary of Lac Saint-Jean. The reflection of the sky on the glass curtain wall transposes a lightness that complements the modern volume and its natural stone base, creating an architectural balance within the built heritage.
The exposed structure provides a warm effect and architectural richness.
Materials
In addressing the multiple environmental conditions, materials for the envisioned structures were selected carefully. Steel was used to strengthen structures removed from public visibility and to reinforce the floor of the main facade and its cantilevered beams. It was also used for the X-bracings of the building.
Wood was also applied abundantly, leveraging both its local availability and its status as a sustainable development product. The wood used in the structure comes from Nordic, a company located in Chibougamau, Que. They primarily use local spruce to make the wood beams and columns.
The new library and multifunctional room are constructed of laminated spruce wood beams and columns, and wood is also applied to the rear extension of a large gable roof, where wooden trusses support its load-bearing walls. As an esthetic complement, exposed glulam beams and columns were strategically exposed for public enjoyment, providing a warm, welcoming, and comfortable environment.
The wood (structure et exterior cladding) and stone are all local materials sourced from forests or quarries near the site. These materials underwent minimal processing before being used on the building envelope.
MDO chose natural stone as the foundation of the building as it is obviously an extremely resistant and durable material over time. The wood used as exterior cladding has been treated and factory-painted in an opaque white colour, which improves its long-term resistance to UV rays. Cedar is also known for its long-term stability and durability. Finally, the triple-paned windows contribute through their transparency to creating a naturally bright and comfortable environment, with optimized thermal insulation.
View from the mezzanine towards the Péribonka River.
The rooftop terrace provides a pleasant perspective to relax.
Design elements
The omnipresence of white echoes the adjacent buildings and the urban fabric of the village, which is mostly made up of colourless and pale buildings. The upper part is thus covered with white cedar siding, like that of the Samuel-Bédard House and the requalified rectory located on the other side of the church. By its colour, the cladding protects the building envelope from overheating, increasing its long-term durability. Mostly made of ultra-clear triple glass, the rest of the envelope stands out for its lightness and purity, allowing natural light to enter, essential for the health, comfort, and well-being of users.
This light input is controlled by various strategies to minimize the impact of excessive direct sunlight where needed. For example, the fully glazed corridor taking the form of a walkway linking the municipal building to the museum serves as a buffer zone between the outside and the multipurpose rooms, which are more temperate and naturally lit by favourable northern light for museum exhibitions and allow for a continuous visual perspective on the inner courtyard and the Samuel-Bédard House.
On the other hand, the east and west side openings of the administrative offices are recessed into the envelope to block the sun’s rays during the hot part of the day in summer. The overhang also integrates the roof rainwater recovery system, avoiding the installation of a surface gutter.
Finally, the library at the south end opens onto the Peribonka River with a large contemporary stained glass window covering the entire surface and protected by a unique sunshade system designed and developed specifically for the project. By its design, the building envelope allows continuous contact with the environmental context, whether natural, urban, rural, or heritage, diversifying the experience according to the user’s journey.
Inside, the polished concrete floor throughout the building avoids the use of additional flooring while enhancing direct contact with the outside through the reflection of the applied sheen. Moreover, the library is covered with a textile floor covering, ideal for acoustic absorption. The maritime-themed carpet tiles, such as the extension of the Peribonka River shores inward, were largely made from recycled fishing nets. A nod to the many boats visible from this promontory. Most of the cabinetry counters were made of stained natural wood and Péribonka black granite, a reminder of the exterior masonry that continues inside the enclosure. The white on the interior surfaces is omnipresent and diffuses the light while contrasting the exposed glued-laminated timber structure highlighted by a colour tint that can resemble the wood surface of a sailboat’s deck. The white wood decking also distinctly reveals the mature natural wood, with an appearance consistent with the site’s historical and heritage context.
The project team had to take into consideration the needs of both the municipality and the new museum. The central positioning of the hall is therefore a key element in the implementation of the project, considering it needs to be easily accessible from both sides of the project. Its access to the outdoor courtyard where the Samuel Bédard house is located allows for a very interesting outdoor extension and visibility at all times of the heritage monument.
The multipurpose hall had to be able to be divided into two, to allow activities for both entities to take place simultaneously. Integrating a dividing wall within a completely glazed space was a major challenge. Lighting was also designed to accommodate formal activities such as city council meetings, as well as temporary museum exhibitions. The fully transparent hall facing the outside was intended to be a space for cultural and community dissemination.
The design has been embraced by all of the project’s stakeholders, including provincial and federal government agencies. The innovative design solutions have addressed all expressed concerns, and the finished product is a new source of pride for the small, close-knit community. In the end, the project expanded the boundaries of the traditional client-firm relationship to form deeper bonds than most conventional mandates.
Completion
Construction of the project began in 2020, and the main components of the Espace Péribonka tourist site were completed in 2023. MDO is now engaged in the rejuvenation of the Louis-Hémon Museum, which is scheduled for completion in 2024. On the fringes of the main site, the firm also erected a new fire station that is incorporated into the project’s consolidated civic functions. In addition to the esthetic and functionality of the new complex, its combined services provide the municipality with economies of scale and maximization of resources.
Accordingly, Espace Péribonka now sits at the crossroads of tourism, gatherings, and essential services, and is a focal point of the social and cultural life of the community. The municipality hopes to attract 30,000 visitors annually to Espace Péribonka, including regional day trippers and international visitors drawn to its historical, cultural, and ecological attractions.
The project has been widely praised for its design and innovation, and for its integration into the community. Espace Péribonka has been recognized as a finalist for a Municipal Leadership Award from the Federation of Quebec Municipalities, as well as for an urban planning award from the Quebec Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The project has also been cited as a reference for future multifunctional projects requiring co-operation and approval by multiple government bodies.
Author
Alexandre Simard is an architect and a member of the Quebec Order of Architects (OAQ), and partner at Les Maîtres d’Œuvre architectes (MDO) located in Saguenay, Que. As a design architect and project manager for more than 15 years, he has worked on numerous large-scale projects. He also specializes in 3D modelling and photorealistic rendering, allowing MDO to design and present bold and realistic architectural projects with the distinctive signature of the firm.
