Since the early seventies, the Théâtre Espace Libre has occupied an old fire station designed by Louis-Roch Montbriand and constructed in 1903. The building is nestled at the foot of the Jacques Cartier Bridge between blocks of modest homes and the old Parthenais detention centre which, in its new incarnation as an office building, still dominates the neighbourhood. The client wanted to continue operating in the same space, and sought a renovation that would retain the building’s distinctive elements. “In true dramatic style, the renovation is a daring interpretation of the clients’ requirements, and delivers a bold and courageous architectural statement. Against a subdued backdrop of vertical planes and simple structures, the building offers an interplay of contrasts between light and heavy elements, solid masses and open space, and opacity and transparence.”

Bold but not out of place, this theatre creates a strong presence in a neglected neighbourhood. It offers a clever solution to the demands of combining two theatres and two structures – a former fire station and modern extension – into one. Jurists were very impressed by the overall positive impact of the building.
Mario Saia