Center Est-Nord-Est, Québec Artist Residence and Studio, Canadian Real Estate, Images
Center Est-Nord-Est in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli
Residential and Artist Studio Development in Canada – design by Bourgeois / Lechasseur architectes
Nov 19, 2019
Center Est-Nord-Est
Design: Bourgeois / Lechasseur architectes
Location: Outaouais, Québec, Canada

During the last three decades, the quiet village of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli known for its longstanding woodcarving tradition has been a rallying point for artists from various locations around the world. What started as a series of casual encounters in the early 1990?s gradually turned into an artist-in-residence program, open to artists looking for inspiration along the St. Lawrence River.
Confined to makeshift facilities until 2018, Center Est-Nord-Est now boasts a brand new building designed by Québec City?s Bourgeois / Lechasseur architectes. The 951-square-meter structure, which stands on the outskirts of the village, is the result of an architectural competition launched in 2017. After years of preparation and fundraising, the long-awaited Centre Est-Nord-Est sits elegantly on the same site as the building it replaced.

As was obvious from their competition entry, Olivier Bourgeois and Régis Lechasseur who both grew up in relatively remote locations were able to blend their intimate knowledge of Québec?s rural landscapes with their modern-day vision. The long monolithic volume reminiscent of traditional barns evolved qui...