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. Photo by Nic Lehoux

PROJECT: Pierre Lassonde Pavilion, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Battlefields Park, Quebec City, Quebec

ARCHITECTS: OMA (design architect) with Provencher_Roy (associate architect)

TEXT: Olivier Vallerand
The new Pierre Lassonde Pavilion for the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) in Quebec City is an unusual beast. It?s a world-class building by a pre-eminent international firm, an exceptional occurrence in the province. Added to that, it was designed on a tight budget. The collection it houses is equally surprising?while the 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 Las-sonde 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 translucent façade glows softly at night. Photo by Nic Lehoux
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 pre...