Discipline : Architecture
Categories :
Public Building / Cultural Building
: Gold certification
Categories :
Special Award / Building Conversion & Adaptive Reuse
: Grand Winner
The Agora of the Arts in Rouyn-Noranda stands in the landscape of Abitibi-Témiscamingue as a creative theatre and acoustic music venue. The project was born from the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Notre-Dame-de-Protection church, classified in Quebec's cultural heritage. Standing as a gathering place for nearly a century, the Agora of the Arts continues its tradition of bringing people together to celebrate connection.
Proudly standing in front of the Horne Smelter, the building is just a street away from the significant demolitions planned in the heritage district. These demolitions aim to create a green buffer zone that will help reduce the excessive arsenic emissions in the region while keeping the factory operational. In this context of displacement, which will see over two hundred families relocated, the Agora represents a symbol of stability that serves as a cornerstone for the revitalization project of Old Noranda.
Winner of an architectural competition, the project involved the complete renovation of the church, including its 200-seat performance hall, various roofing elements, structural framework, and part of its envelope. Additionally, the iconic staircase of the church has been relocated laterally within the structure, thereby connecting the foyer's two levels. The structure asserts its presence through the glass walls on the first floor, while its substantial wooden façade imbues the Agora with a notable grandeur. The staircase reflects the polished finishes characteristic of traditional church pews, pulpits, and confessionals, serving as a distinguished access route to the creative realm of the stage and leading to the performance hall. The preservation of this significant feature from the original building roots the project with the historical resonance of Christmas masses, baptisms, weddings, concerts, and theatrical performances that have traversed its steps over the past century.
The Agora of the Arts enhances the significance of a notable piece of Quebec heritage by repurposing it for contemporary use, thereby preserving its status as a cultural nucleus in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and honouring its historical and symbolic importance. This initiative was conceived as an exercise in rehabilitating memory and heritage, encompassing the diverse social, cultural, and landscape values associated with the complex, composed of the Notre-Dame-de-Protection church and its presbytery. Furthermore, the project introduces a new structure—a suspended volume that contributes to the modern character of the infrastructure. Featuring traditional red brick masonry arranged in a lattice pattern against a glass wall, the new building radiates an aura of sophisticated modernity. This additional volume functions as a nexus for the performing arts, integrating the memory of the existing structure and connecting with the urban context of the region.
