paul laurendeau floats roof canopy over industrial site for amphitheater cogeco in canada

montreal-based architect, paul laurendeau, has designed a new amphitheater in trois-rivières, quebec, along the waters of the st. lawrence river. the structure has become an urban landmark characterized by a sharp 7,200 square meter rectangular roof which stands 26 meters tall and shelters up to 3,500 fixed seats with 5,200 remaining seats on the grass. the building sits at the tip of a site formerly occupied by a paper mill and has become the city’s new landmark with its roof floating above the horizon.

 image by adrien williams

the canopy structure is designed to both amplify program and integrate interior and exterior areas. ‘to make it appear as thin as possible, the sides taper to terminate with a bent 6.4 millimeter thick galvanized steel plate‘ explains the design team. at its central area, the roof is 6 meters thick, housing catwalks that give access to technical galleries for stage equipment and lighting.

image by marc gibert 

‘because of its location on an open site along two major waterways, it is much more than an amphitheater,’ says architect paul laurendeau. ‘it is a new landmark that extends the city’s boundary to the water.’ the venue is being used as a cultural summer venue operating from may to september. meanwhile, during the winter months, a monumental thermal door closes the stage opening allowing interior spaces to host exhibits, public meetings, and a winter programming for a capacity of 700.

image by marc gibert 

image by marc gibert 

image by adrien williams

image by adrien williams

image by adrien williams

 image by adrien williams

image by adrien williams

amphithéâtre | video courtesy of the architecture player

video info:

title: amphithéâtre
author: antti t seppänen
camera: boris morin-defoy
drone camera: francis aubin, perrin video
running time: 47’27”
finland, 2016

1/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: amphithéâtre cogeco
location: 100 avenue des draveurs trois-rivières, quebec, canada
client: city of trois-rivières, quebec, canada
competition winner and design architect: atelier paul laurendeau www.paullaurendeau.com
executive architect : paul laurendeau | françois beauchesne | architectes en consortium
(with: boris morin-defoy, renée-claude langlois, erwan le diraison, gabriel ostiguy, claude de passillé, robert mailhot, étienne paradis, maxime gervais, joannie desrochers, nathalie lord)

schedule:
competition launch: september 21, 2010
selection of winning architect: april 4, 2011 schematic design: november 2010 – july 2011
design development: july 2011 – march 2012 construction documents: november 2011 – june 2015
ground-breaking: may 2012
completion (building): july 14 2015 completion (site and letters): october 2016

general data:
total floor area: 12,500 square meters, including exterior auditorium and lawn roof thickness: 25 mm at edges, 6 meters at center
roof surface: 80 meters by 90 meters
columns dimensions: 26 meter high, 850 mm diameter
number of seats: 3,500 xed seats + space for 5,200 people on grass lawn beyond
trois-rivières signage: 6 meter high cross laminated timber letters
construction cost: 41 million canadian dollars