Tripode Amphitheater / Sid Lee Architecture and Régis Côté et Associés

Located halfway between Montreal and Quebec, the city of Trois-Rivières was looking to build a venue for hosting summer festivals with internationally renowned bands, and housing its symphony orchestra during the summer. The competition site was situated along the St. Lawrence River, adjacent to the park, the city center and St. Quentin Island. For the first phase of the contest, Sid Lee Architecture and Régis Côté et Associés banked on the project’s historical roots and awed the jury with a vision that reflects the site’s industrial past. Their competition entry was awarded as a finalist.

The project was design with one main concern: minimizing acoustic constraints caused by the project’s positioning and the direction of the sound from the amphitheater. To enhance the sense of closure the architects added an access gallery along the southern flank that makes the amphitheater’s presence and the prefunction role of the new public square more obvious. Animating the venue also called for a special focus on pedestrian access, both through landscape design and entranceway functionality. Three public entry points punctuated the approach area to the amphitheater’s performance zone. Artist and spectator intimacy is enhanced by a rolling landscape, designed to follow the natural curve of the terrain. The broader design strategy was aimed at establishing a dialogue between the amphitheater, the Hangar building and the adjacent Borealis Museum. This was achieved by creating a riverside promenade that connects the three buildings.