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Préau – Parc Nature et Culture
By : Agence Spatiale
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 15th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Public Building / Urban Building : Gold Certification
A collective venue to bring citizens together, the preau has a double vocation: to generate an attractive pole for young families wishing to move to the municipality and to mark the collective imagination to make the municipality shine throughout the province.
Conceived as a landmark in the city, the preau invites people to gather and make the place their own, while offering an open space to host various artistic and cultural performances.
The conceptual process honors the imaginary surrounding the municipality with an approach that awakens the playful universe of the tales and legends that surround Saint-Élie-de-Caxton. The unusual volume becomes a box, a lid that is lifted to reveal a hidden world. Resting on only one side, the roof gives the impression of being magically held or blown away by a gust of wind. This structure was carefully coordinated with the engineers throughout the process to allow for this illusion of floating. To facilitate the integration of this festive tent-like preau into the urban landscape, the concept was inspired by the traditional Canadian roof design found on neighboring homes and reinterpreted in its own way. The interior architecture opens like a book in which the viewer is at the heart of the story.
The use of wood is a direct response to the park furniture that surrounds the preau. As a reminder of the surrounding forest, it was suggested during the project that citizens bring their own logs to be used as seats, all in a local collaborative approach. In the same way, the circular economy is favored by using wood slats from a local sawmill. The cutting was also done by nearby artisans.
Developed as a multi-purpose space first and foremost, the venue can be used throughout the year and can accommodate 200 people. The vacant space allows for the addition of flexible seating and a stage. An enclosed dressing room and storage were added to accommodate performances.
It was the close collaboration between the firm and the citizens that made this enchanting and resolutely emblematic concept possible. This project is part of a global development plan that the municipality wishes to implement in the coming years to position itself as a true destination.
