ACDF Architecture is proud to present the newly inaugurated T-A-St-Germain Library, located in downtown Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Versatile and dynamic, the new library encourages spontaneous encounters, informal exchanges, discoveries, and self-fulfillment in a warm and tranquil environment.

Going beyond the traditional model of a library focused on learning through reading, this 52,200 sq.ft. cultural hub offers a varied program spread over 3 floors. Key functions include 2 multi-purpose rooms, an exhibition area, a co-working space, multimedia creation studios (FabLab), a computer lab, a café, a terrace, and well-defined zones for children, teenagers, and adults.

In keeping with the desire to create an emblematic building for the city, with modest means, the architects committed themselves to designing an architecture imbued with a certain formal and tectonic sobriety, focusing on simple volumetric articulations, rather than considering an architectural approach focused on creating grandiose gestures or flamboyant architectural expressions.

ACDF proposed the retention of the existing building, with all its strengths and weaknesses, and the addition of an extension to complement it. The architects were then able to magnify the architectural qualities of the existing building, such as its gauge, its highly efficient Cartesian geometry, and its symmetry, while adapting them to the new standards of such cultural venues. To counteract the unusual low clearance heights and strip fenestration for a library, the extension offers light-filled spaces with extraordinary views towards the Yamaska River, access to an outdoor terrace, and distinctive environments compared to those contained in the existing building.

The expansion concept takes the form of a volumetric structure divided into two fragments, which slide over each other to create a majestic hallway linking the new pedestrian entrance to the cultural center and the vehicular entrance near the river. This multi-purpose hall serves as a reception area, a pre-function area, a café, and a crossroads, encouraging fluid interaction between users.

The ground-floor volume houses three multi-purpose rooms, all accessible from the large hallway. Like cultural showcases visible from Bourdages Avenue, the multifunctional rooms will also help to enliven the future Gérard Côté urban promenade. The design concept allows media spaces to be used outside of library opening hours, and the café occupying the lobby can be used as a service area for vernissages or special events. The volumetric translation allows for the creation of an outdoor terrace on level 2, offering spectacular views and a space to relax and enjoy the Yamaska River, while the upper volume houses areas dedicated to adult collections.

The combination of the existing building and the extension results in a variety of spaces and, above all, a variety of atmospheres to suit all tastes. On each floor, the layout revolves around a core of services and shelving, surrounded by reading and work spaces. The relaxation areas are logically positioned at the periphery, along the narrow band of existing windows, with more focused views over the landscape and more subdued lighting, which is conducive to concentration. The low ceiling height of the existing building (8′-2”), and the low beams at the edges of the building, effectively delimit the reading and working areas, which are more subdued and human in scale.

Conversely, the enlarged space is generously bathed in light, and totally immersed in nature, with lower shelving to enable greater enjoyment of the landscape. This duality between the old and the new accentuates the contrast of perspectives for users: the vastness of the river and the framing of the city-culture interface. These various solutions optimize the use of space, providing flexibility and natural spatial fluidity.

The new T.A. Saint-Germain library rises as a beacon on the landscape, establishing a structuring presence in Saint-Hyacinthe’s historic downtown area. It has emerged as a must-see destination for all Saint-Hyacinthe residents, and contributes to efforts to requalify the old downtown area. This project is a prime example of the architectural approach advocated by ACDF, which consists of striking the perfect balance between efficiency and aesthetics to design projects of the highest architectural quality, while knowing how to define what is possible and what is necessary.

Design: ACDF Architecture
Project Team: Maxime Alexis Frappier, Christelle Montreuil Jean-Pois, Laurence Lebeux, Denis Lavigne, Martin Palardy, Pierre Louis Beneche, Michel Thompson, Ghislain Noel
Photography: Adrien Williams