Chevalier Morales

In 2009, Montreal's Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium relocation to the Olympic Park, alongside the Espace pour la Vie network, was the subject of an international architectural competition. Among the 62 submissions, Chevalier Morales was named one of five finalist firms.

The firm's concept explored the notion of reality blurring, brought on by the limiting experience of urban life. Unshackled by the blindness induced by modern mundanity, the archetypal figures of the northern nomad, the astronaut, and the Olympian sustain a lucid perspective on the world, one that transcends the limits of what is commonly visible.

The building's softly translucent and milk-hued envelope creates a gentle contrast - a poetic response to the urban-induced blindness of contemporary existence. Seamlessly integrated into the monochromatic palette of the Olympic installations, the planetarium features reflective, luminous materials: opalescent glass, stainless steel, glossy white aluminum, perforated white panels, and ceramic-coated glazing. A mysterious presence, the structure shifts in aspect depending on the viewer's position, revealing new geometries as one moves through space.

Upon entering the luminous interior volumes, the building's form and spatial articulation reveal the museum's essence. As a modern-day observatory of the cosmos and the stars, the planetarium is a sanctuary for contemplation, where looking upward becomes an experience of cosmic elevation.