Design Feature
Joliette art museum undergoes transformation to increase space
Les architectes FABG transforms and expands the Musée d’ art de Joliette in Montréal by adding three new volumes to the building. Photo credit: Steve Montpetit
LOCATED ABOUT an hour’ s drive north of Montréal, Canada is the Musée d’ art de Joliette( Joliette art museum), recognised as Quebec’ s most important regional art museum. While pursuing the objectives of conservation, dissemination and research established over half a century ago by its founders, the museum continues to expand its permanent collection, which currently comprises some 8,500 works held in four collections: Canadian art, European art, contemporary art and archaeology.
The complete transformation and expansion of the original building was necessary to offer a wide range of programmes structured around the promotion of its permanent collection and the presentation of temporary exhibitions, as well as a host of educational and cultural activities for visitors of all ages. The addition of new flexible gallery space, animation rooms for youth, a multipurpose cafe, conference rooms and a rooftop terrace were necessary to open up the institution to the community and to allow it to play a larger role in the lives of the nearby residents.
Particular attention was paid to the original building by revealing and cleaning the existing concrete structure that had been covered up with brick and plaster over time. In order to facilitate visitor orientation and create a dramatic double-height space, part of the second floor concrete slab was demolished at the entrance of the building where the original museum atrium had once existed.
The project required a complete code compliance update of the existing spaces including the renovation of the museum archives in the basement, the replacement of all the mechanical and electrical systems, the complete waterproofing of the building envelope, the construction of new office spaces and the creation of an easily accessible museum. Also included in the architect’ s mandate were the signage design and the selection of all interior and exterior furnishings. •
More information at arch-fabg. com
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