pierre lassonde pavilion by OMA opens at MNBAQ art museum

pierre lassonde pavilion by OMA opens at quebec’s MNBAQ art museum

canada‘s musée national des beaux-arts du québec (MNBAQ) has opened its new building — the ‘pierre lassonde pavilion’. 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
all images by bruce damonte / courtesy of 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. ‘our design stacked three gallery volumes in a cascade that continues the topography of the park,’ explained shohei shigematsu, OMA partner and director of OMA new york. ‘the activity of the city extends below, providing a new point of interface between the city and the park. art becomes a catalyst that allows the visitor to experience all three core assets – park, city, and museum – at the same time.’

the major addition increases floor space by 90 percent

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.

roof terraces provide space for outdoor displays and activities

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

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 project here.

the design features an extruded pop-out stair