Archetech Issue 42 2019 | Page 62

MAISON DE LA LITTÉRATURE (HOUSE OF LITERATURE) CHEVALIER MORALES ARCHITECTES The Maison de la littérature (House of Literature) is located in the historic neighbourhood of Old Québec, a site part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In this particularly dense urban setting, Chevalier Morales designed a contemporary annex, a simple and refined volume, to the Wesley Temple, a neo-Gothic heritage church. Since its opening, the Maison de la littérature has rapidly become a vibrant home to Québec literature and a popular touristic destination in Old Québec. Stemming from an architecture competition, the winning project by Chevalier Morales proposed an unforeseen solution, a response exceeding the initial commission’s expectations. The architects chose to move part of the program into a new annex outside the church space to provide a more transparent and universal entrance.