# Place des Arts (Sudbury)

Place des Arts opened its doors as the first multidisciplinary arts centre in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, in 2022. The architecture firms Moriyama & Teshima and Bélanger Salach were tasked with designing a building to house seven prominent francophone arts and culture organizations united under the Le Regroupement des organismes culturels de Sudbury (ROCS): Carrefour Francophone, La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario, Centre Franco-Ontarien de Folklore, Concerts La Nuit sur l'étang, Èditions Prise de parole, Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (TNO) and the Salon du livre du Grand-Sudbury.
Place des Arts is situated on the corner of Larch and Elgin Street in Downtown Sudbury and is in close proximity to many local businesses and community organizations such as the YMCA, Sudbury Community Arena and the McEwen School of Architecture. The 40,000 square-foot building contains a 300-seat theater, a multi-use performance space, a contemporary art gallery, a library with a national publishing house, a boutique, offices, a daycare and a bistro with a seasonal terrace. The building’s facilities can be rented by the community, thus it hosts a variety of public and private events including theater productions, jazz nights and work events.

## Architecture

The architecture teams at Moriyama & Teshima and Bélanger Salach worked collaboratively with the leaders of the Francophone Canadian community within Sudbury to ensure their design needs were met. The exterior elements of the building incorporated historical reference of Sudbury's rail history through the Corten steel panels. The natural weathering of these panels is representative of the different layers of rock formations found within the Sudbury Basin: Canadian Shield sandstones, igneous rocks and pebble-rich sandstones. Large windows dominate the building facade facing Elgin street.
The building’s facilities were organized to serve the community on the main level. This is where the amphitheater, bistro, art gallery and bookstore can be located. The private quarters are located on the second and third floors of the building which include the children's daycare, office spaces, and a multi-use space. Within these upper levels, individuals have access to two terraces overlooking the city; one for the office spaces, and the other for the daycare.
Through the request of the client, 12 historical artifacts from Sudbury were incorporated throughout the building. These adaptive re-use elements were able to showcase artifacts of the Sudbury Francophone community. Artifacts include: Bread pans from a Canada Bread Bakery built in the 1940s; tin ceiling tiles re-used from École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague; theater lights from Sheridan Auditorium (presently known as Sudbury Secondary School); boards used for tables were produced from L’ île aux Chênes; white pine beams from Chicago; re-used bricks from a number of significant buildings around Sudbury; stage decor resembling slag from Sudburys mining; Lockers repurposed from a local Sudbury highschool, École Secondaire Macdonald-Cartier; stained glass from Collège du Sacré-Coeur and copyright certificates for Lignes-Signes.
The design team consisted of 12 individuals: Brian Rudy, Cathy McMahon, Emmanuel Awuah, Jason Phillipe, Louis Lortie, Maria Pavlou, Nick Gonsalves, Sean Robbins, Sarah Ni, Jason Corbin, Louis Bélanger, Amber Salach.

## Construction

During the beginning stages, Bélanger Construction uncovered the foundations of The King Edward Hotel, a historic building erected in 1905. This discovery prompted the architects to build Place des Arts atop the foundations of the hotel to commemorate the historic monument. The main materials used in the construction of Place des Arts were structural steel for the framing, poured concrete for the floors, wood finished interiors and glass panels for the building envelope.
The construction of this $30 million project was entirely publicly funded which can be broken down as such:
* $5.5 million from the City of Greater Sudbury
* $12.5 million from the federal government
* $8.25 million from the provincial government
* $3.75 million from private donations
The construction process began in 2018 and took approximately 4 years to complete. During the construction phase, there were 180 jobs were created and 29 jobs when the facility opened. The multidisciplinary arts centre was projected to host 850 cultural activities a year that would attract locals and tourists to downtown Sudbury.
It was originally planned for completion in 2020, but faced delays relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. There were a number of material shipment delays as well as labour shortages. In order to meet construction deadlines, workers were exempt from the mandate to stay at home from the Ontario Government, with the requirement that they wear masks at all times. The centre's official opening date was April 29, 2022.

## Awards

* 2022 Architecture, Construction & Design Award, Culture (built) Category
* 2023 Urban Design and Architecture Award, Gold Winner
* 2023 Grand Prix du Design, Platinum Winner for Special Prizes in Collaboration