Earlier this year, the Nature Museums of Montréal announced the winner of the international architectural competition for the new Montréal Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium.
The design concept by Cardin Ramirez Julien in collaboration with Ædifica_Architecture + Design was selected ahead of four other entries by Atelier Big City and L’OEUF; Chevalier Morales architectes; Croft Pelletier architectes and Saucier + Perrotte architectes. Engineering and landscape design of the winning proposal was provided by SNC Lavalin, Dupras Ledoux engineers and Fauteux et Associés Architectes Paysagistes.
The team seeks to reach highest goals in sustainable development and promoting renewable energy sources. Construction is expected to begin next summer and the official opening is scheduled for 2012.
This text is from the architects describing the planetarium in detail:
FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH THE NIGHT SKY
Most of us had our first real glimpse of the wonders of the night sky far from the lights of towns and cities, in the heart of nature.
In Québec, a clearing in the woods or the shore of a lake, for example, are places where many of us have come to appreciate the heavens in their infinite grandeur, aglow with countless stars.
In an evocation of this first experience, the future Montréal Planetarium sets the stage for a special relationship with nature through views that open onto the sky, direct contact with new plantings and the unveiling of new landforms.
CORE CONCEPTS
INTEGRATION WITH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
The site chosen for the new Planetarium is unique for its varied architectural and urban make-up. A number of landmarks nearby bear witness to significant moments in Québec history, including the Olympic Stadium, the Biodôme, the Maurice-Richard Arena and Centre Pierre-Charbonneau.
The Planetarium integrates respectfully with this exceptional environment and contributes to the value of the ensemble.
The first objective is to encourage users to appropriate the site by offering a variety of exterior environments that are designed on a human scale and thereby complement the neighbouring buildings and outdoor spaces:
The second gesture involves the topographic manipulation of the Olympic site’s concrete slab. The slab is reworked and reoriented to create new landform shapes, introduce a new flow to the public spaces and allow movement across the various levels.
Lastly, the new Planetarium needs to be clearly identifiable among neighbouring structures. The two optical tubes pointing toward the sky call attention to the site and give it a strong visual identity. This feature is visible from Pierre-de-Coubertin and Viau Streets, and can eve be seen from Sherbrooke Streets.
ARCHITECTURE AND SCENOGRAPHY
Pointing skyward like telescopes exploring the universe, the optical tubes convey the nature of the building from the outside.
The main entrance is accessible via a footbridge that crosses a wooded area below: the ground falls away and the sky comes closer as one approaches the building through the treetops.
Inside, visitors discover the two spheres located beneath the cones and housing the Star Theatres, as well as a space that opens up over three stories, linked by a “fault line” that extends from the Biôdome at the bottom level through to the top floor. The gaze is drawn upward and then meets the sky via the openings in the optical tubes.
Adjoining the lobby and located at the heart of the building, the foyer gives access to both Star Theatres. Various spaces related to the site’s operation, management and programming are located near the foyer, in a section on the building’s north side that is reserved for the Planetarium’s private spaces.
The exhibition room, located on a balcony on the top level, is accessible via a gently sloping ramp that circles one of the Star Theatres. This ramp also serves as an extension of the exhibition room, with the space above the ramp and up to the skylights available for the display of large objects.
Public spaces, the boutique and a café are situated around the lobby, on the ground level of the Olympic site. Their placement sets them in dialogue with the site’s outdoor life and lets them benefit from already existing activities.
The lower level, in keeping with program specifications, is primarily dedicated to visitor groups. This is also the level at which the Planetarium and the Biodôme are connected.
The group lobby takes full advantage of its placement next to the Place des vainqueurs, which provides access, natural light and views. The location also provides easy access to both the Biodôme and the Planetarium, as well as to the cluster of spaces shared by these two facilities. The naturally-lit lobby offers a view of the new wooded area, and opens up onto the three floors, with a progression through to the actual Planetarium: the auditorium, the exhibition room and, of course, the two Star Theatres.
The various experiences offered within the Planetarium can be summarized by two main elements a relationship with nature on the horizontal axis, and a relationship with the sky on the vertical axis (expressed through the fault line that extends from level 100 to level 300, the Star Theatres, the optical tubes and the pathways between these and the spheres).
WINNING TEAM AND THEIR PARTNERS
Architecture : Cardin Ramirez Julien with Ædifica_Architecture + Design
Structural engineering : SNC Lavalin
Mechanical engineering : Dupras Ledoux ingénieurs
Landscape architect : Fauteux et Associés
subscribe 
Email this