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Restoration of La Visitation Church
By : Affleck de la Riva, architectes
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Other categories in interior design / Unclassified Category in Interior Design : Gold Certification
Categories : Special Awards / Heritage Preservation : Gold Certification
The oldest church on the Island of Montreal, La Visitation Church was built at the Sault-au-Récollet rapids on the northern edge of the island between 1749 and 1752. The first construction work was entrusted to master mason Charles Guilbault who erected a field stone structure typical of his native France. It was Philippe Liebert, architect, sculptor, painter, and renowned craftsman, who was responsible for the interior decoration. Up to 1798 Liebert produced several outstanding decorative elements in a classical spirit, and was followed by Louis Amable Quévillon who produced various wooden decorations. Between 1816 and 1827, David Fleury-David completed the superb interior wooden vault and three altarpieces. The current pulpit dates from 1836 and is the work of Vincent Chartrand. In 1850, the architect John Ostell added a bay to the space of the sanctuary and a new facade was erected in cut stone with two bell towers.
Over the generations, many elements of the interior decoration of the church have been modified or replaced by different craftsmen and architects. The most recent changes date from the 1950s, when reforms to the liturgy brought transformations to the physical configuration of many churches. The furniture was modified, and a more colourful vision of the interiors was realized. The church building was classified as a cultural asset in 1971 and the complete property was declared a Montreal Heritage Site in 1992. the Ancien-Village-du-Sault-au-Récollet sector was designated a historic site by the province in 2018.
Heritage interiors: This project is one phase of a comprehensive restoration initiative aimed at restoring the church to its former glory. But what decorations and what previous eras are we talking about exactly? A preliminary study aimed at clearly documenting the rich history and multiple iterations of the building’s design was carried out with the support of archival documents from the Parish, the Archdiocese, and the Ministry of Culture. Various expert studies, such as site inspections and stratigraphic studies of paint finishes corroborated the results of our iconographic research. This rigorous examination confirmed the value of restoring the interiors of the sanctuary as it existed at the beginning of the 19th century.
The restoration of the interior of the sanctuary was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved cleaning, repairing and finishing all the plaster and wood surfaces on the upper portion of the walls of the 1750 sanctuary, its vault and the pulpit. The second phase recreated the original faux finishes on the lower portion of the walls and in the 1850 Ostell bay which includes the rood screen, chapels, altarpieces, baptistery and interior doors. The faux finishes on the lower portion of the walls imitate various types of wood (mahogany, ebony and maple) and were originally applied around 1839 to the bases and crosspieces of the church walls. Stripping subsequent layers of finished not being a viable technical solution, this faux wood decor had to be recreated.
Rediscovering hidden colours: The restored colours and finishes, essentially composed of contrasts of white and gold leaf, respect the great period of ornamentation work extending from the 1760s to the 1830s. The restoration of the original finishes permits an appreciation of finely executed carving and carefully applied paint finishes. One can, for example, discern the details of horns of plenty containing vines leaves and grapes, details which had been lost under multiple coats of paint for more than a century. In a similar vein, carved details illustrating the Stations of the Cross have been restored. The work of the faux-wood finishes lends an aesthetic coherence to the sanctuary, creating a soothing atmosphere and a space of gentle dignity.
Collaboration
Architect : Affleck de la Riva, architectes
Other : Centre de conservation du Québec
Photographer : Laëtitia Boudaud
General Contractor : André Domon
