Header: James Brittain
The G.E. Tanguay-designed historic La Caserne building was originally built in 1912 to accommodate a fire station. A few decades later, in 1996, architect Julien et Plante expanded the building to host Ex Machina, an artistic laboratory run by Canadian artist, playwright, actor, film, and stage director Robert Lepage. After Ex Machina left the space in 2021, it was taken over by Les Gros Becs theatre company, that reqested a 3500-seat theatre and a multifunctional hall within the building.
Historic building in the old Quebec Heritage district
The La Caserne building is located at the corner of Dalhou Dalhousie and Barricade streets in the old Quebec Heritage district. The building opens toward the St. Lawrence River and Parc des Canotiers, while the granite black box faces the Musée de la Civilisation. A passage that goes from Dalhousie to Bell Street becomes the foyer, which links the main public entrance and the group entrance on Bell Street.
The SBTA Inc. + Delort and Brochu Architectes highlighted the entrance and the building extension by pairing one wooden door with blue glass doors. The commitment to blue shades continues on the inside, mirroring the river nearby. An open staircase spans from the heart of the foyer further to the theatre, the second-floor reading room, and the multifunctional hall on the third floor. A small terrace near the administrative spaces provides a view of the river.
Combining historic materials with contemporary interventions
The interior reflects the building’s material language while at the same time embodying playful, colourful space for young visitors. The grey stone of the ground floor is mirrored in stainless-steel wall cladding, reflecting both the timber of the theatre hall and the movement within the staircase. The second floor is equipped with orange brick, echoed in a metallic copper finish. The wood in the masard is paired with wood cladding in the multi-use hall foyer and metallic gold accents. Wood is present in the theatre hall as well as the space, which reimagines the exterior motif in four shades of wood.
Ecological approach based on circularity
The building is based on repurposing and recycling. The new theatre building restores both the 1912 fire station and the adjacent grey granite Ex Machina building, while introducing a much-needed expansion. The existing concrete and steel structures are reused alongside recycled black granite cladding from Robert Lepage’s old theatre building. The new fully glazed envelope features enhanced durability, while low energy use is ensured through an attachment system with thermal breaks.
New La Caserne expansion provides new life to the early 20th-century building. The new theatre stays true to the building’s historic design while adapting it to a new young audience.
Technical sheet
Name: La Caserne – scène jeune public
Location: 103 Dalhousie Street, Quebec, QC, G1K 4B9, 110 Bell Street, Quebec, QC, G1K 0L4
Opening date: November 4, 2025
Client: La Caserne – scène jeune public (Jean-Philippe Joubert, Executive Director and Co-Artistic Director)
Architects: SBTA Inc. + Delort and Brochu Architectes
