Rigaud City Hall in Canada by Affleck de la Riva architects

Article source: v2com

Construction was recently completed on Rigaud City Hall, a new civic administration facility for a small Quebec community fifty kilometres west of Montreal. Located at the confluence of the Rigaud and Ottawa rivers, Rigaud is noted for its natural attractions and historic village center which dates back to New France.

Designed by Affleck de la Riva Architects, the project gives new meaning to public administration and municipal activities in Rigaud through an urban redevelopment plan that proposes both the reorganisation of a section of the historic village center and the new city hall building. A pedestrian promenade connects existing public amenities with new facilities, redevelops several vacant lots and links the heart of the village to the Rigaud River.

Rigaud City Hall – North Elevation, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

• Architects: Affleck de la Riva architects (Gavin Affleck)
• Project: Rigaud City Hall
• Location: 106 rue Saint-Viateur, Rigaud, Quebec, Canada
• Photography: Adrien Williams
• Client: City of Rigaud
• Urban Design and Landscape: Affleck de la Riva
• Project Team: Gavin Affleck, Richard de la Riva, Daniel Guenter, Sébastien Genest, Karyne Archambault, Jan-Bathyste Goudreau, Muhidin Kadrić, Serge Gascon, Mylène Moliner-Roy
• Structure And MEP Engineer: MLC et associés
• General Contractor: Construction Cogela
• Budget: $5,100,000CA
• Area of Project: 975 m2/10,500 sq.ft.
• Project End Date: 2018

Rigaud City Hall, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

White on White: Democracy and Transparency

While Rigaud City Hall is a modest building respectful of the scale of its municipality, it projects a strong civic image. Accessible and close to the ground, in dialogue with both the citizen and its territory, the new city hall symbolizes community, pride and participation in collective life. The architecture of the new city hall alludes to the archetype of the classical temple whose form is associated with the birth of democracy. White on white, the building evokes clarity, honesty and freedom of expression—values essential to the proper functioning of civil society. Luminous and unadorned, the building blends into the northern landscape of the Ottawa Valley.

Rigaud City Hall, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

Rigaud City Hall – A Nordic Stoa, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

The council chamber is suspended above the plaza and main entrance to the city hall creating a signal highly visible from neighbouring streets. Fully glazed on three facades, the chamber presents the exercise of democracy as a transparent activity. Beneath this volume a generous outdoor area offers a protected space for meetings and gatherings. The east and north facades of the building are punctuated by a white aluminum colonnade. The columns give way to white masonry on the other facades. The integration of the logo of the City of Rigaud in the masonry of the north façade adds a touch of color and identifies the municipal function of the building. Passing through the colonnade, the main entry leads directly to a foyer illuminated by a skylight. Open on two floors, the foyer extends laterally towards a corridor along the colonnade. A nordic’stoa’ that offers continuous contact with the landscape, this is a privileged meeting place for citizens and administrators.

Rigaud City Hall – the entrance, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

Rigaud City Hall, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

Bioclimatic Architecture

While nordicity is an essential element of the image of the city hall, the building also responds to climatic realities and provides a high level of comfort to its users. The integration of the building into the site’s topography creates three levels and buries the first level on the north side. Technical rooms are located in this buried area, while the offices on the south side are distributed over three floors with natural lighting and passive solar gains offered on each level.

Rigaud City Hall – Council Chamber, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

Rigaud City Hall – The Atrium, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

Rigaud City Hall – The Atrium, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

Rigaud City Hall – The Atrium, Image Courtesy © Adrien Williams

Rigaud City Hall – Site Plan, Image Courtesy © Affleck de la Riva architects

Hôtel de ville de Rigaud – plan d’aménagement, Image Courtesy © Affleck de la Riva architects

Hôtel de ville de Rigaud – plans, Image Courtesy © Affleck de la Riva architects

Rigaud City Hall – Plans, Image Courtesy © Affleck de la Riva architects

Tags: Canada, Rigaud

Categories: Central hall, Civic Center, Community Centre, Cultural Center

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 3rd, 2019 at 6:51 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.