Carleton Saint-Omer, Quebec, Canada

For several years, various cultural organizations as well as the citizens of the Baie des Chaleurs region have expressed the desire to be equipped with a facility enabling them to fully exploit the quality of their artistic production. In 1985, a project was elaborated in order to acquire cultural facilities in accordance with the requirements of the professional milieu. It was to take more than a decade and many studies, before the architectural competition was finally launched in the winter of 1997. A committee was formed with the goal of presenting a project that was feasible and satisfying to both professional organizations and amateurs.

Cultural contributors from the Baie des Chaleurs wanted an identity centre - a place permitting maximum intermingling between cultural participants and promoting cultural accessibility to the larger population. Associated with professional organizations and amateurs, the Collegiate Study Centre of Carleton and the Municipal Library permitted to consolidate the project within a regional context grouping together culture, education and communications.

The nature of this project, most notably demonstrates the essence of the agreement signed between the Québec Ministry of Culture and Communications and the Québec Ministry of Education. At the dawning of the year 2000, this project was intended to act as a stimulus within a frequently overlooked region.

(From competition documentation)

(Unofficial automated translation)