Design tourism / Published on April 14, 2021
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DESIGN STAYS
Capitale-Nationale and Charlevoix Regions, Quebec, Canada
LE GERMAIN HOTEL & SPA & ESPACE NORDIK
by LEMAYMICHAUD Architecture Design
A REBIRTH STEEPED IN HISTORY
Written by Richard Des Lys and published in INTÉRIEURS 63, SUMMER 2014. Updated by Juli Pisano for INT.design in 2021.
Photos: André-Olivier Lyra / germainhotels.com/ chateaumontsainteanne.com/ lemaymichaud.com
HÔTEL & SPA LE GERMAIN, BAIE SAINT-PAUL, QC
While resolutely modern, Le Germain Hotel & Spa, in the heart of Baie Saint-Paul succeeds in preserving the heart and soul of the region’s culture.
With its attractive decor that combines cultural tradition and a modern-living concept, the Le Germain Hotel & Spa is one of the most inspirational places in the Charlevoix region. It was built by Groupe Le Massif on a piece of land where the largest farm in Canada once stood, before it was lost to a fire.
They gave carte blanche to the LEMAYMICHAUD Architecture Design firm who joined forces with the firms Hudon Julien Associés s and St-Gelais Montminy et Associés Architectes.
As Katrine Beaudry, senior designer and partner at LEMAYMICHAUD, notes, “We met many local artisans. Our priority was not only to locally source our materials but also to partner with suppliers and designers from the Charlevoix or greater Quebec area.”
The lobby of the main building sets a striking tone with its modern but understated design.
The vibrant tractor-red reception desk is one of the many nods to the region’s past, along with a fireplace surrounded by wooden milk crates that serve as bookshelves.
In addition to under- scoring the decor that is both contemporary and channels the region’s past, the felt-clad walls provide acoustical comfort.
At the end of the bar, an impressive two-storey high mural wine cellar reaches all the way up to the Les Labours restaurant, where the reception area wall is covered in original butter wrappings.
Guest rooms range from dormitories to luxurious suites. In the train station pavilion, which is connected to the train station, dormitory rooms offer hostel-like accommodations that feature four pull-down single beds.
The standard rooms feature cowbell-shaped light fixtures by Eureka,and hand-woven pillows that depict the star of Charlevoix by Anne-Marie Hamel and traditional carpets are all distinctive elements that tie back to the region’s history.
Headboards were created using vintage photos from the Charlevoix’s national archives, reproduced and printed onto wallpaper by the Que- bec company Monolino.
Outside, one can see slate walls in the exterior courtyard, adjacent to the other pavilions: Le Moulin, Le Clos, La Berge, and La Basse-Cour. Between these buildings, sheep and cows roam freely in pastures land- scaped by François Courville.
The project won the 2013 GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN, Hotel Design category.
To book a room:
https://www.germainhotels.com/en/le-germain-hotel-and-spa/charlevoix
ESPACE NORDIK, CONDOS CHÂTEAU MONT-SAINT-ANNE, MONT-SAINT-ANNE, QC
LEMAYMICHAUD also led the Château Mont-Saint-Anne condominium renovations for Espace Nordik, on the road from Quebec City to Baie Saint-Paul.
Owners Henri A. Roy, Sébastien Roy, and their partner Charles Sirois, always up to date on emerging trends and the changing needs of their clientele, did not hesitate to entrust this project to the firm’s architects and designers.
They remodelled the spaces, exposing the concrete walls and pairing them with a warm and comfortable decor. The work on this concept was planned out in phases over more than five years.
This modern and avant-garde condo-hotel is more evidence of this region’s pride in its history and heritage.
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To book a condo unit:
https://www.chateaumontsainteanne.com/en/accomodation/espace-nordik-signature-condo/
