NIC LEHOUX ABOVE The pavilion’s cascading gallery blocks are connected by a projecting staircase with views towards the Plains of Abraham. A generous entrance lobby faces the city’s Grande Allée.
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MNBAQ’s galleries focus on local artists, the quality of the work is on par with the best in the world of art. Unlike other “blockbuster” cultural projects of recent years, the Lassonde is relatively discreet, letting the art collection shine through. It also makes a considerate companion to the collection of buildings surrounding the original 1933 museum, to which the pavilion is connected, and establishes a thoughtful relationship to its verdant setting on the historic Plains of Abraham, at the edge of Old Quebec. The creation of a new pavilion was first discussed more than a decade ago, leading to the acquisition of a former convent and a still-in-use presbytery next door to the museum’s campus. A 2009 international
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GROUND FLOOR 1 PIERRE LASSONDE PAVILION 2 PRESBYTERY 3 PEDESTRIAN TUNNEL 4 CENTRAL PAVILION 5 GÉRARD MORISSET PAVILION 6 CHARLES BAILLAIRGÉ PAVILION
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CANADIAN ARCHITECT 11/16
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