The Complexe récréatif Gadbois is one of Montreal's most important sports centers. Serving the population of the Sud-Ouest, it is home to some fifteen sports clubs and associations, offering the population the opportunity to practice a multitude of sports and recreational activities. A heritage building constructed in 1960, the Gadbois center underwent two expansions in 1970 and 1981. The aim of the competition was to respond to the obsolescence and non-conformity of the existing facilities - while at the same time enhancing the recreational offer and thus recovering an attractive site as part of an urban renewal - the Pôle Gadbois.
Located on the banks of the Lachine Canal, Centre Gadbois is part of a complex site. Formerly an industrial site steeped in history, the site has undergone a number of transformations over the decades. Its environment has gradually become disconnected from the canal, and the site has become increasingly enclosed and inward-looking. This is all the more true with the advent of the new Turcot interchange; this major infrastructure acts like an impenetrable wall, turning its back on the Gadbois Recreation Centre.
The project was inspired by the richness created by the superimposition of these strata and their evolution through the ages. The design approach is therefore respectful of what is and what will be tomorrow. The project valorizes the existing and the know-how of the past by minimizing the modification of the existing building and thus reducing the waste associated with an unrequired demolition. At the same time, it enhances the value of the preserved spaces: rich in history. The result is a project that projects itself into the future with a new building that is exemplary in terms of eco-responsibility; a project that optimizes the synergy between the existing and the new with an educational approach to pragmatic and circular architecture. In short, the result is a pioneering urban project, anchored in the updated ESG values of the city of Montreal, at the heart of its ecological, social and community transition.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Arguments in favor of the proposal
• The project demonstrates good urban integration. Its clay brick construction ties in directly with the existing building and interestingly expresses the industrial heritage of this urban area. It shows skillful restraint, and its use of bricks to form inverted silos is appreciated.
• The project is not flamboyant but rather pragmatic and has evolved nicely since the first stage of the competition.
• The interplay of solid and empty volumes, with well-placed transparent walls, forms a happy marriage.
• The proposal is skillful, sensitive, and honest in its intentions. The new volume in the park is fully embraced and well explained.
• As illustrated, the development of the adjacent park should be an extension of the recreational and sports facilities offered by the Gadbois center. This project supports this potential orientation well. Thus, the encroachment on the park is offset by the fact that it is considered an extension of the sports complex and a space that can be programmed for this purpose rather than a green space.
• The versatility of certain interior layouts allows for expanded sports and recreational programming, and even community programming.
• The gasometer is referenced in a relevant, judicious manner and is well positioned.
• The decision to preserve as much of the existing built volume as possible is perfectly in line with the principles of sustainable development, which is to extend the life of what has already been built.
• Natural light is generous and adjusted to interior uses.
• The absence of windows in the lower part of the triple gymnasium allows for the installation of sports equipment.
• The decision to use a generous existing volume, namely the former gymnasium, to transform it into an agora, a relaxation area, and to create the east entrance is very judicious.
•The addition of a second entrance on the south facade allows for flexibility of access to the lower level.
•The two "green lungs" to the west (outdoor atrium) and east (indoor garden) are appreciated and usable.
•The footprint in the park is justified by the reduction in the carbon footprint of the entire project.
•The mechanical strategies presented are innovative, including the use of emerging technologies, and are the result of relevant and interesting considerations.
•Overall, the budgetary feasibility has been demonstrated. The proposal even frees up significant funds by avoiding excessive demolition of existing buildings.
Arguments against the proposal
•Vertical and horizontal circulation in the existing section still needs improvement.
•It is difficult to reach the elevator from the south entrance and the newly constructed section. The universal access route has not been resolved.
•Several functional deficiencies were identified and noted in the Technical Committee's report, including the combination of the fitness room and the weight room.
Jury reservations
•The proposed modular pool raises questions about its installation and a possible single supplier.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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