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Bibliothèque du Boisé is a bold new library in Montreal designed by the consortium Labonté Marcil, Cardinal Hardy (now Lemay + CHA) and Eric Pelletier (now associate at Lemay). Set on a 5,000 sq m plot, the development has been designed to connect the city with the existing landscape.
Situated between Thimens Boulevard and the Marcel-Laurin Park, the Bibliothèque du Boisé can be accessed through a number of entranceways to encourage discovery and exploration of the site. The design team hopes that users will examine both the interior and exterior of the volume, connecting to the existing plot in new ways.
“In this project, architecture is landscape and landscape is architecture,” the consortium explains in a statement. “The architecture changes shape, unfolds, spreads out and rises up, reducing the boundaries between the built space and the site… The library is not an architectural gesture, but rather an act of communication and exchange.”
Numerous finishes clearly differentiate between the interlocking boxes and a large glass block rises from the bulk of the library, drawing in natural light which spills over into the horizontal volume. Internally, the material palette incorporates wood, concrete and bright white finishes, further reflecting the light into the building core.
The consortium aimed to create a series of intimate and dramatic spaces and have done so with an angular design incorporating wide internal staircases and ceilings that dip down into the internal volumes. These elements impact sightlines within the building and form a range of spaces for different uses, such as quiet study or open discussion.