Salle de spectacles de Dolbeau-Mistassini / Dolbeau-Mistassini Performance Hall
2005
Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec, Canada- Architecture for culture, research, sport or leisure
- Building
- Theatre
Since the beginning of the 1980s, the Dolbeau Performing Arts Committee desired to equip the region with a new professional auditorium. Thus in 2005, an open competition for the design of a new facility to support and promote cultural performing arts at both local and regional levels was launched by the Municipality of Dolbeau-Mistassini. Second largest city of Lac-Saint-Jean, the City of Dolbeau-Mistassini initially wanted a multi-functional auditorium capable of accommodating up to 500 spectators. However, during the project's programming phase the solution retained was an Italian style theatre with 480 fixed seats coupled with a multi-purpose foyer that could accommodate 400 people as a bistro. The selected building site was situated in the heart of the old Mistassini city-centre and included an abandoned school which was to be partially recycled by competitors.
Prior to the launch of this competition, representatives expressed two sensitive issues to be considered by all competitors: The intervention was to be highly visible and not dissimulated behind the existing school and it was agreed that competitors should utilize wood in their projects, as this material is considered both characteristic of the region and a source of local pride. One of the major stakes of this project was to optimize the limited resources available for its construction. The competition's programme thus stated, "one of the main challenges of this competition resides in optimizing a distribution of resources that proposes, at once a functional and dignified ensemble, whose profitability is assured most notably by proposing the greatest number of seats and by reducing the cost of daily operations." It was also anticipated that the auditorium would establish a new coherence within a heterogeneous urban fabric.
Nearly 70 teams of architects registered for this competition, of which 30 submitted a proposal for its first stage. Four finalists were selected to further develop their projects during the competition's second stage.
(CCC text)
Prior to the launch of this competition, representatives expressed two sensitive issues to be considered by all competitors: The intervention was to be highly visible and not dissimulated behind the existing school and it was agreed that competitors should utilize wood in their projects, as this material is considered both characteristic of the region and a source of local pride. One of the major stakes of this project was to optimize the limited resources available for its construction. The competition's programme thus stated, "one of the main challenges of this competition resides in optimizing a distribution of resources that proposes, at once a functional and dignified ensemble, whose profitability is assured most notably by proposing the greatest number of seats and by reducing the cost of daily operations." It was also anticipated that the auditorium would establish a new coherence within a heterogeneous urban fabric.
Nearly 70 teams of architects registered for this competition, of which 30 submitted a proposal for its first stage. Four finalists were selected to further develop their projects during the competition's second stage.
(CCC text)