Montreal firm ACDF Architecture has created a new arts centre in the suburbs, fronted by a colonnade of vertical and angled stainless steel supports (+ slideshow).
The institution is named the Diane Dufresne Art Centre, after the Quebec artist, and is located in the suburban town of Repentigny.

The single-storey building is intended to allow local residents to enjoy arts and culture without taking the highway to nearby Montreal, and to trigger further development of arts-focused building in the area.
"It is the kick-off element to transform a once-sparse, under-utilised park into a cultural corridor with thematic gardens, a civic plaza and a theatre," said ACDF.

A reflecting pool was placed in front of the building, mirroring the facade's skewed colonnade of massive pillars clad in stainless steel. "The row of shimmering columns gleams in the sun, their reflectivity calling to passers-by as well as amplifying and dramatising the surroundings, such as sunlight, vegetation, and seasonal colours," ACDF said.

The interior is made up of three wood-clad volumes with rounded edges.

Related story: FABG renovates and expands Quebec's Musée d'art de Joliette

One contains a multi-purpose room, the second a dance recital space, and the third encompasses an art gallery.

Interior finishes were left intentionally bare to give the art more visual importance.
"To contrast the metal's slickness, the three sinuous volumes in the interior are clad i...