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Françoise-Bédard Library
By : Groupe A / Annexe U
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Public Building / Cultural Building : Silver Certification
This project follows a multidisciplinary competition launched by the City of Rivière-du-Loup in spring 2019. It includes both the complete redevelopment of the library occupying the first two levels of the former convent of the Sœurs du Bon-Pasteur, built in 1886, and a contemporary extension spanning three levels. Anchored in its environment, the new Françoise-Bédard library becomes part of the daily life of its users, a true public space celebrating the culture of books and knowledge. The library already benefited from a high-quality site and heritage building. Well established in the landscape, the former convent is rooted in the heart of Vieux Rivière-du-Loup, in which Saint-Patrice Church, the Town Hall, the École Roy and a network of green spaces – Parc Bon-Pasteur, La Goélette outdoor theater and Parc Blais – are all located. The project represented an exceptional opportunity to affirm the institution’s presence in the community and consolidate its role as a cultural hub that opens up, comes alive and interacts with neighborhood life and landscapes.
In the image of Rivière-du-Loup, the new spaces, bright and comfortable, are built in a series of plateaus, defining new relationships with the environment. The cascading massing and the demolition of the existing extension, which had become obsolete, make it possible to free up the southern façade of the former convent and bring in more natural light. This articulation sets the scene for a new visual relationship between the heritage building and Bon-Pasteur Park.
Inside, the library is articulated around the esplanade and the landscape. In this place, you feel right at home. The spaces are comfortable, welcoming and oriented towards the assets of the community and the site. Each plateau has its own ambience and offre a variety of places and experiences: teenagers find their space on the garden level, children rediscover the special relationship they had with the Bon-Pasteur space through wide panoramas of the outdoors and contact with the courtyard. All customers are also invited to project their heads into the trees and the landscape on the « plateau détente », the second level. The latter also allows customers to discover an accessible roof-garden, a privileged space for relaxation and reading, one of the secrets to be discovered in this new library.
This library is deeply rooted in its surroundings and inspired by the strengths that distinguish the town of Rivière-Du-Loup: the elegant fusion of nature with history, heritage and architecture. It is also the notion of « crossroads » that characterizes the town and the new Françoise-Bédard library. The latter is configured to actively play this attractive role, facilitating encounters between culture and information, between research and leisure, and between visitors of all age groups.
The library expansion project faced various challenges: maintaining the integrity of the old architecture while giving it a modern aesthetic, reinforcing the library’s social role, improving the adjacent green spaces, and achieving high standards of energy performance.
To meet these challenges, the project has incorporated several sustainable development innovations. It uses passive energies, such as geothermal energy via a Canadian tunnel and radiant floors, and incorporates features such as green roofs, high-performance glazing with solar shading, wooden structures and full-spectrum LED lighting. These solutions help reduce the building’s environmental footprint while ensuring optimum comfort for users. In short, the library expansion project combined respect for heritage, social development, landscape integration and energy performance, making it an example of innovation and sustainability in construction.
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