The St-Hubert Library proposal by Saucier + Perrotte architectes was the competition finalist for City of St-Hubert in Canada. The building is beautifully sited in the wooden context and presented as a bold horizontal form in respect to its surrounding tree line, and finally punched through by a roof top feature where is reached via a central staircase.
Inspired from the natural qualities of its wooded site, the St-Hubert Library signals its presence in the forest as its central vertical element boldly punctures the top of the tree line.
Saucier + Perrotte architectes
Inspired from the natural qualities of its wooded site, the St-Hubert Library signals its presence in the forest as its central vertical element boldly punctures the top of the tree line. This gesture links the ground plane to the sky through the space of the building, allowing abundant the natural light so essential to reading into the library.
Simultaneously, the long main volume of the building makes reference to the horizon, respecting the scale and size of the trees. Since light must also be carefully controlled in various spaces, vertical slats articulate the building envelope in a regular rhythm, filtering the eastern and western light into the main and second floors. A central, monumental stair rises through the center of the library, linking the spaces and becoming a belvedere at the top level, permitting panoramic views the park landscape.
The opalescent walls surrounding the staircase permit natural light to enter the reading areas and be diffused over the shelving. The library – as a place of uncovering knowledge – must accommodate more than spaces for reading, but several interior environments for diverse functions. The goal in the design is to favour an exchange between library users while emphasizing the universal, flexible character of the facility. The predominantly horizontal form of the library allows users, whether in the adult or children's sections to have a sense of their own way-finding and personal space while maintaining a reassuring physical and visual connection between sections.
The building is intended to function as a publicly accessible facility for gatherings when library hours have finished so that a variety of social events may take place, such as: exhibitions, discourses, book launches and cultural and community activities.
+ Project credits / data
Project: St-Hubert Library
Location: St-Hubert, Québec
Client: City of St-Hubert
Architects: Saucier + Perrotte architectes
Structural: SDK
Mechanical / electrical: Pageau Morel
Program: Municipal Library
Status and schedule Competition: finalist 2008
Photographic: Saucier + Perrotte architectes
+ All images and drawings courtesy of Saucier + Perrotte architectes
