Construction was recently completed on Rigaud City Hall, a new civic administration facility for a small Quebec community fifty kilometres west of Montreal. Located at the confluence of the Rigaud and Ottawa rivers, Rigaud is noted for its natural attractions and historic village centre which dates back to New France.
Designed by Affleck de la Riva Architects, the project gives new meaning to public administration and municipal activities in Rigaud through an urban redevelopment plan that proposes both the reorganisation of a section of the historic village center and the new city hall building. A pedestrian promenade connects existing public amenities with new facilities, redevelops several vacant lots and links the heart of the village to the Rigaud River. While Rigaud City Hall is a modest building respectful of the scale of its municipality, it projects a strong civic image. Accessible and close to the ground, in dialogue with both the citizen and its territory, the new city hall symbolizes community, pride and participation in collective life. The architecture of the new city hall alludes to the archetype of the classical temple whose form is associated with the birth of democracy. White on white, the building evokes clarity, honesty and freedom of expression?values essential to the proper functioning of civil society. Luminous and unadorned, the building blends into the northern landscape of the Ottawa Valley.
The council chamber is suspended above the plaza and main ...