Best of show: Institutional

Built by the Jesuits in 1928 in the foothills north of Mount Royal, Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf graduates have included many well-known Canadians, including Pierre Elliot Trudeau. The 175,000-volume theological library, the largest in North America and the repository for numerous antique books, now occupies the restored former chapel.

Over the years, renovations took their toll on the 5,400-square-foot space. A dropped ceiling, added during a 1970s conversion into a study hall, concealed architectural details. The restoration brings the space back to a style compatible with its original architecture while providing accessible storage for the entire library.

The chapel’s original proportions and coffered ceilings once again stand revealed. Natural light once again streams in from the high windows. Because the utilitarian-looking book stacks in the choir appear incongruous with the chapel’s architecture, a translucent glass partition screens them from the nave (the main space), which is reserved for school activities. Library storage areas in the side aisles are suspended at window-level, leaving clear the floor below.

The materials palette includes recreations of existing woodwork, plasterwork, marble and concrete moulded to resemble Ohio sandstone. High-performance contemporary elements include spider glass wall systems, steel walkways and the latest in heating and ventilation technology.
Artist René Derouin provided “Three Centuries of Migration to the Americas,” a series of eight murals in the style of early Christian frescoes. Aside from their aesthetic value, they conceal the acoustic treatment on the side panels.

Alsop: It’s interesting how they divided the verticality of the space into three zones. That was very brave. This is the freshest entry in the competition.
Banse: The wide-open space is fantastic.
Daoust: This was a very complex undertaking.