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Architectes cleared the church of numerous past architectural eyesores. In this way,
the historic potential was able to freely unfold – above all the generous volume of
the nave and high, light-admitting neo-gothic windows. This “purification” could
only succeed because Stephan Chevalier and Sergio Morales suggested a special
solution in the competition.

The new building anchors the house of literature in the 21st century

The architects boldly “outsourced” a part of the spatial programme into a new, light-
flooded annex. The unobtrusive, rectangular volume of the annex has a façade of
glass panels. In some parts, they have perforated brass plates at the back and give
the annex a golden-shimmering effect. The new building deliberately looks for con-
trast to the building stock. The architects juxtaposed the richness of details of the
solid, stone church façade with a transparent no-frills glass façade. It reflects the
immediate surroundings and subtly integrates in the context. On the inside, the annex
offers views of Old Québec and the striking St Lawrence River. Not only with its archi-
tecture but also with its content, the annex is to anchor the house of literature in the
21st century with E-books and Twitter poems.
The church itself was gutted, only the outer walls remained. Photos of the construc-
tion site show how radical the intervention was – and how much it benefited the
building stock. The formerly spacious nave can now be experienced again. Not a
sacral reconstruction but a secular rebirth! Today, the house of literature shines in
pure white which heightens the spiritual effect. Ceilings, walls, window frames, book
cases, furniture, stairs and displays are monochromatic. Natural daylight, which
abundantly penetrates through the slender, high, leaded windows, floods the room.
A newel- and a spiral staircase are able to sculpturally unfold in the generous volu-
me. Due to the monochromatic scenario, Chevalier Morales Architectes designed an
effective stage for visitors and books. The architects saw working in the historic con-
text as a challenge to be carefully handled. Die feedback proved them right: The con-
cept and the implementation of the Maison de la Littérature were repeatedly awar-
ded local architecture and cultural prizes. Chevalier Morales have made a name for
themselves in Canada with cultural buildings. In recent years, the office succeeded
in winning no fewer than four competitions for libraries. Besides the house of lite-
rature in Québec, two new library buildings in Drummondville and Montréal have
already been built. This year, the still young architectural office only founded in 2005
was furthermore given the Emerging Architectural Practice Award of the Royal
Architectural Institute of Canada. Bewusst kontrastreich: Kirche und Annex • Deliberately contrasting: nave and annex

Die Kirche wurde bis auf ihre Außenwände radikal entkernt, um Raum für ein luftiges Volumen zu schaffen. • The church was radically gutted, with only the outer walls remaining, to design an airy volume.

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