Stewart Museum / Les Architectes FABG

Courtesy of Les Architectes FABG

Architects: Les Architectes FABG - Éric Gauthier, André Lavoie
Location: Montreal, France
Project team: Marc-Antoine Fredette, Dominique Potvin, FrançoisVerville
Year: 2011
Ara: 32,000 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of Les Architectes FABG

Courtesy of Les Architectes FABG

Montreal, January 27, 2012 – L’Arsenal du Fort de l’Île Sainte-Hélène, a former warehouse for ammunition and guns, was built between 1820 and 1824 and was converted into a military museum in 1956. The Stewart Museum has a large collection of over 30,000 objects and artifacts of Nouvelle France and the European influence in NorthAmerica. For this project, we revised the master plan of the site development and we did feasibility study which included a functional and technical program.

Courtesy of Les Architectes FABG

The museum’s transformation program was developed to meet the following requirements:

- Grouping functions which were similar;
- Facilitate the circulation and improve the visitor’s experience;
- Improve climatic comfort;
- Improve the safety of people and goods: alarm system, sprinkler, emergency exit;
- Improve accessibility for disabled people;
- Improving the mechanical and electrical systems: efficiency,conformity and security.

Courtesy of Les Architectes FABG

The project involves the installation of an elevator in the courtyard and an architectural staircase to improve universal accessibility and the circulation through the museum ‘s the three levels. The elevator is covered with mirrors to create the effect of a kaleidoscope which binds the new construction to it’s historical context.