Préau Parc Nature et Culture

2022 The project consists of designing a courtyard to host various artistic and cultural performances. It is a place that encourages meetings and gatherings while honoring the imagination surrounding Saint-Élie-de-Caxton. To facilitate the integration of this festive tent-like structure into the municipal landscape, the concept was inspired by the municipality's traditional Canadian roofs, and reinterpreted in its own way. The use of wood responds directly to the park's furniture and proposed seating, as a reminder of the surrounding forest. The interior architecture opens like a book in which the spectator is at the heart of the story. The concept awakens the playful universe of tales and legends that surrounds the municipality of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton. The unusual volume becomes a box, a lid that is lifted to reveal a hidden world. Resting on one side only, the roof gives the impression of holding by magic or of being carried away by a gust of wind. This structure, was worked in close collaboration with engineers throughout the process. The wood slats were sourced from a local industry and the cutting was done by local craftsmen. Developed as a multi-purpose space first and foremost, the venue can be used year-round and can accommodate 200 people. Flexible seating, a stage, an enclosed dressing room and storage were added to accommodate the performances. A collective place to bring citizens together, the courtyard has another purpose: to attract families, to capture the imagination and to spread the word about the municipality across the province. It is the close collaboration between the firm and the citizens that allowed the implementation of this enchanting and emblematic concept for the municipality.