OMA's pierre lassonde pavilion at MNBAQ set to open

OMA’s pierre lassonde pavilion at MNBAQ set to open in quebec city
image by iwan baan / © OMA

the musée national des beaux-arts du québec (MNBAQ) has announced that it will open its new building, named the ‘pierre lassonde pavilion’, on june 24, 2016. designed by OMA, the major addition increases floor space by 90 percent, while bringing together the museum’s existing buildings. the scheme also extends the street life of québec city and the landscape of the neighboring parc des champs-de-bataille. the pavilion opens with six new exhibitions and three days of free public programs during ‘la fête nationale du québec’ — the province’s national holiday.

the scheme extends the street life of québec city and the landscape of the neighboring park
image by iwan baan / © OMA

MNBAQ’s mission is to promote and preserve québec art, from the 17th century to contemporary periods, and to showcase international art within québec city. more details of the new 14,900 square meter (160,382 square feet) structure were unveiled at a press event in new york, where shohei shigematsu — OMA partner leading the design — expanded on the concept behind the project.

‘it was a very strategic move for the museum, because it used to be a museum in the park, but they acquired a site facing the grand allée — which is the main boulevard of the city,’ explained shohei shigematsu. ‘the park and the city and the museum can all extend at the same time at this strategic point. so it’s not just a museum extension, but also an extension of the art and the city. art becomes the catalyst between the park and the city.’

the major addition increases floor space by 90 percent
image by iwan baan / © OMA

‘our design stacked three gallery volumes in a cascade that continues the topography of the park. the activity of the city extends below, providing a new point of interface between the city and the park,’ continues shigematsu. ‘the façade is a triple-glaze, for which we have used three panes of different glass. the first one is textured, the last one is fritted, and one is regular glass, which creates this kind of depth. this also creates a ghost of the structure as a pattern. this is a textured glass so it captures different lights. it changes from very crisp — almost like ice or metal — to a typical green glass that has some resonance or some synergy with the church’s copper roof.’

a dramatic cantilever of 26.5 meters shelters a new urban plaza
image by iwan baan / © OMA

behind the new building, realized in collaboration with provencher_roy architectes, the museum’s three existing pavilions (dating from 1867, 1933 and 1991, respectively) stand within the historic parc des champs-de-bataille. OMA’s addition connects with this complex via a 130 meter-long (427 feet) subterranean passageway, while simultaneously presenting a transparent façade towards the adjacent grande allée.

mezzanines link the temporary and permanent exhibition spaces
image by iwan baan / © OMA

inside the pavilion, column-free galleries, an auditorium, a café, and a museum store are all housed in three volumes of decreasing size. these stacked components rise in tiers from the park to the streetfront. a grand hall 12.5 meters in height (41 feet) faces the grande allée, where the uppermost tier’s dramatic cantilever of 26.5 meters (87 feet) shelters a new urban plaza. orchestrated views from a monumental spiral stairway — as well as an extruded pop-out stair — orient the visitor to the park, the city, and the remainder of the museum. within the volumes, mezzanines link the temporary and permanent exhibition spaces, while above, roof terraces provide space for outdoor displays and activities.

tripled-glazing has been used to filter light inside the building
image by iwan baan / © OMA

pierre lassonde, chair of the MNBAQ board of directors, said, ‘we are delighted to be only weeks away from welcoming the public into this brilliantly conceived design by OMA, which will do so much to help us celebrate the art and artists of québec. with this beautifully functioning and symbolically important addition, our museum now rises to a new level of service for the people of québec city, and a new prominence for visitors from around the world.’

orchestrated views from a monumental spiral stairway help orient the visitor
image by iwan baan / © OMA

‘the world heritage site of québec city now has a new landmark,’ added line ouellet, executive director and chief curator. ‘lucid and ingenious, the pierre lassonde pavilion simultaneously stands out on its site and weaves itself into its surroundings, bringing out the potential of the urban situation with a logic that is as impeccable as it is unexpected. with its spacious exhibitions galleries, auditorium, café and other amenities, it will enable us to realize our museum’s highest possibilities.’

internally, the building takes on a more sculptural form
image by iwan baan / © OMA

the museum will present six new exhibitions dedicated to québec art from 1960 to the present, as well as large scale works to inaugurate the new pavilion. MNBAQ will celebrate the opening of the pavilion, which coincides with québec’s national holiday, by offering three days of free admission and an open-air festival.

see designboom’s previous coverage of the pavilion under construction here.

looking upwards through the stacked volumes
image by iwan baan / © OMA