Diane-Dufresne
Art Centre
ACDF Architecture
With the Centre d’Art Diane Dufresne, ACDF
Architecture has created a new arts centre
for the suburban municipality of Repentigny,
providing a dynamic core where residents
can take in stirring arts and culture without
getting on the highway to nearby Montreal.
The centre’s architecture, including its
siting, massing, circulation and materiality,
are instrumental in reinventing the desired
community image. It plays with notions
of rootedness while gesturing to a vibrant
future, instilling a sense of belonging and
optimism. Familiar yet distinct, it invites
visitors in and encourages long, lingering
stays.
With this project, the Municipality of
Repentigny and ACDF conceived of the
centre as a part of a larger master plan. It is
the kick-off element to transform a oncesparse, underutilized park into a cultural
corridor with thematic gardens, a civic
plaza and a theatre. Part of the broader
redevelopment scheme is toprovide
connections between previously disjointed,
bungalow-lined streets. The design team