25 Apr 2023
Presented at the Galerie d'architecture in Paris from April 15 to May 27, 2023, the Territories and Landscapes exhibition by Atelier Pierre Thibault is an open reflection on the relationship between architecture and its environment. Drawings, models, books, sketchbooks, and objects are freely displayed in the space, creating an architectural constellation questioning the different relationships existing between architectural projects, landscapes, and cultural and natural contexts.
"River, forest, lakes, fields, and cities: these are territories confronted with impressive climatic differences that already force us to be creative. Nature is, for me, a source of renewed inspiration and a great teacher," says Pierre Thibault.
Organized in several tables, reminiscent of an open and creative workshop, the exhibition invites the public to literally and figuratively wander through the Quebec territory, discovering the architectural figures and landscapes that comprise it. To that end, some twenty projects designed by Atelier Pierre Thibault, from its founding in 1988 until today, are presented, ranging from ephemeral installations to ambitious institutional projects and residential projects. Visitors will have the chance to experience the silence that cradles the Cistercian monks in their abbey in Saint-Jean-de-Matha; imagine the impressive roar of the waterfalls that envelop Belvédère Val-Jalbert; to discover the fragile yet powerful beauty of the banks of the St. Lawrence River and the ephemeral installations that inhabit it; and to plunge into the vibrant greens of Quebec's forests, among others.
"I have always loved exploring territories. Since my first architectural and landscape installation at the Jardin des Tuileries, I have continued to design minimalist projects that I place like an acupuncturist in singular landscapes to help us see them differently and to imagine their future," says Pierre Thibault.
A conference by Pierre Thibault will be held at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal in Paris on May 9, 2023, at 7 PM as an echo to the exhibition.
About Atelier Pierre Thibault
Founded in 1988 by architect Pierre Thibault, Atelier Pierre Thibault uses the uniquely transformative power of the seasons to create spaces that capture singular moments with acuity: the intense light of winter on snow, the exuberance of colours in late summer, the softness of warm days in summer, or the spring explosion of nature. All the senses are called upon to experience the architect's spaces, each project being an opportunity to create a particular narrative that creates a dialogue between the landscapes and the humans who inhabit them. Atelier Pierre Thibault has recently completed major projects that include the new pavilion at Collège Durocher in Saint-Lambert, and the Collège Sainte-Anne in Montreal.
Throughout his career, Pierre Thibault has contributed to making architecture a subject of public interest in Quebec and elsewhere by participating in several documentaries, publications, public consultations, seminars, and films. He co-authored the book Et si la beauté rendait heureux (What If Beauty Made Us Happy), published by La Presse, in collaboration with François Cardinal, and he is featured in more than ten documentaries available on the Fabrique Culturelle website of Télé-Québec. Atelier Pierre Thibault's projects have also inspired award-winning director Denys Arcand, who presented some of them in his feature film, Le règne de la beauté.
The architect has been involved for several years in a major initiative to redefine school architecture in Quebec to promote learning and educational success, as a founding member and member of the Board of Directors of Lab-École, a non-profit organization that aims to bring together multidisciplinary expertise to design the school environment of tomorrow.
Pierre Thibault is a professor at the School of Architecture at Laval University, and has been a visiting professor at several locations, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), the School of Architecture in Nancy (France), and the École des hautes études appliquées in Geneva (Switzerland).
"Pierre Thibault is a lover of the landscapes of the French regions, and has made friends with communities in France's most prestigious architecture schools, including Bordeaux, Lyon, Montpellier, Grenoble, Paris-Belleville, and Brittany," adds Gian Mauro Maurizio, director and co-founder of the Galerie d'architecture in Paris.
About the exhibition Territories and Landscapes
Presented from April 15 to May 27, 2023
Location: Galerie d'architecture
11 rue des Blancs Manteaux, 75004 Paris, France
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
FREE ENTRANCE
Conference at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal on May 9, 2023, at 7 PM
About the Galerie d'architecture
The Galerie d'architecture is an exhibition space dedicated to international contemporary architecture. Located in the Marais district in Paris, the gallery offers its many visitors a living space, which changes the atmosphere to the rhythm of various exhibitions. Since its inauguration in 1999, the gallery supports and disseminates current architectural creations, alternating the production of the young generation with that of experienced architects, landscape architects, or designers from around the world.
Technical sheet
Exhibition area: 160 square meters
Drawings, models, books, sketchbooks, and objects
Photo credits: Atelier Pierre Thibault , Alain Laforest, Maxime Brouillet, Pierre-Ulric Gagné, Nancy Guignard, and Edgar Fritz
List of some projects presented as part of the Territories and Landscapes exhibition
Period: 2003 to 2022
Architectural and landscape installations
The Veranda (2021), Reford Gardens, Bas-Saint-Laurent
Atelier en mouvement (2015), several regions
White Rooms (2015), several regions
Residential projects
Institutional, tourist and cultural projects
Val Notre-Dame Abbey (2009), Lanaudière
Belvedere of the Val-Jalbert hydroelectric plant (2015), Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Grantham Foundation for Art and the Environment (2019), Saint-Edmond-de-Grantham, Centre-du-Québec
Saint-Laurent Pavilion (2022), Baie-Saint-Paul, Charlevoix
Great Hall of the Reford Gardens (2022), Grand-Métis, Bas-Saint-Laurent
School architecture
Collège Sainte-Anne (2022), Montréal
New pavilion for Collège Durocher (2022), Saint-Lambert, Montérégie
