Digital Gallery
Empress Theatre
Digital Arts Gallery
Client
The Municipal District of NDG
Scope
Concept Design
Location
Montreal, Canada
Concept:
Heritage for the 21st Century
A 5-Storey Building Extension
The municipal district of Montreal wishes to propose a new extension to the historic Empress Theatre in hopes to conserve the building currently in decay and risking demolition while revitalising the surrounding neighbourhood.
The proposed Digital Arts Gallery will become Canada's first immersive digital art centre. The architectural journey is designed to take visitors from the Empress Theatre [the past], to the outdoors [the present], and finally reaching the digital exhibition space [the future].
An Immersive Digital Art Space
Visitors enter the gallery from the escalator below and find themselves immersed within an interior space where digital art is displayed on the ground, ceiling and surrounding walls.
Celebrating Heritage
[The Past]
Connected to the Digital Arts Gallery, visitors can discover the history of the Empress Theatre and appreciate old Egyptian-style wall frescos found below the theatre structure.
A Viewing Platform Bridge
[The Future]
Within a 5-storey glass volume lined in LED, the interior of the building is composed of multiple white concrete volumes designed for a viewing platform, box seating and an enclosed gallery.
A Viewing Platform Bridge
[The Present]
Visitors can escape the digital space onto an outdoor balcony where they can locate and connect themselves with the neighbourhood.
Interstitial Spaces
The interstitial spaces throughout the building allow guests to experience the digital artworks at varying distances.
An Enclosed Gallery
A long enclosed rectangular volume that stretches across the building provides an opportunity for object artworks to be displayed within a traditional white cube with views facing the outdoor park.
Top Floor Viewing Platform
On the highest floor, visitors can enjoy the digital art standing above the enclosed gallery. Finally, visitors leave the Digital Arts Gallery by exiting onto the Empress Theatre's rooftop.
A Lantern at Night
At night, the lights fill the interior of the gallery, diffusing blended colours on the facade which visually animate the surrounding streets and activate the neighbourhood.
