Centre d?expertise sur l?aluminium (CeAl) and Alcoa Innovation have announced the five finalist firms in a design competition dubbed Architecture and community commitment: A tale of aluminum. Launched last November in cooperation with Association des Architectes en pratique privée du Québec (AAPPQ) and backed by funding from the Ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation (MESI), the competition seeks to promote the innovative use of aluminum in the building sector.
Constellations: New cultural, sporting and social gathering places
Constellations, imagined by Groupe A / Annexe U (Érick Rivard, Marie-Noël Chouinard, Maxime Rochette and Keven Ross), advocates the creation of new public spaces. Some are enveloping and introverted, while others are open to the outside world, but all intend to spur user delight. Located in former parking lots or erected adjacent to public spaces, these new covered satellite spaces would house social, cultural and sporting activities designed to showcase the vibrancy of life in the city. The structure entails the use of two large sheets of anodized aluminum which unfold to create an inviting shelter. The first rises up to form seating and the enclosure proper, while the second – boasting a bright, gloss finish – floats above the space and folds down to settle gently at ground level. Perforated by hundreds of triangles, the aluminum canopy provides for an interplay of light and shadow designed to reproduce the effects of the sunlit...