This Project Challenges Conventional Thinking On the Architecture of Conservation

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Prized for its brutalist architecture by Victor Prus and a historic mural by Jordi Bonet, the fragile Grand Théâtre de Québec, inaugurated in 1970, required a major intervention to restore and protect its outer shell. Prefabricated concrete indoor and outdoor walls are the theatre’s defining feature; their anchors had disintegrated over time due to moisture seeping into the concrete.

Lemay + Atelier 21’s innovative glass casing is a delicate response to this complex problem. Contrasting with the concrete, the new outer shell fades, disappears, reflects and illuminates; it articulates the project discreetly and sensitively. Beyond its primary function, the casing acts as an extension of the original building it now protects, using Prus’ finely developed structural logic and composition married to the building’s unusual shape.

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Finalist, 10th Annual A+Awards, Best Cultural Firm
Finalist, 10th Annual A+Awards, Hall / Theatre

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