Transforming a Former Industrial Landmark in Old Quebec into a Theatre

Located within the UNESCO-listed historic district of Old Quebec, La Caserne – The Theatre for Young Audiences redefines a former fire station as a contemporary cultural venue for children and youth. Designed by SBTA inc. together with Delort et Brochu architectes, the project combines preservation, adaptive reuse, and contemporary intervention to create a new civic landmark rooted in the city’s architectural heritage.

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Originally built in 1912 by G. E. Tanguay, the fire station was expanded in 1996 to accommodate Ex Machina, the experimental theatre laboratory founded by director Robert Lepage. Following Ex Machina’s departure in 2021, the site was taken over by youth theatre company Les Gros Becs, which required a larger performance venue including a 350-seat theatre and a multifunctional hall.

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Rather than treating the project as a straightforward renovation, the architects approached it as a dialogue between different historical layers and audiences. The intervention mediates between the preserved fire station, the black granite-clad Ex Machina addition, and a new architectural extension that responds to the surrounding stone-built fabric of Old Quebec. Restrained geometric volumes frame the original fire station and emphasize its tower, reinforcing its role as a recognizable urban landmark.

Photo credit: Vladimir Topouzanov

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

At street level, the project strengthens public connections to the surrounding neighborhood. A small piazza at the corner of Dalhousie and Barricade streets opens toward the nearby museum, riverfront park, and the St. Lawrence River, creating a new gathering point within the district. A central breach carved through the preserved structures forms a foyer that links two entrances: a public entrance on Dalhousie Street and a secondary access point for school groups arriving by bus from Bell Street.

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Inside, circulation becomes a key spatial experience. An open staircase guides visitors upward toward the theatre, reading room, and multifunctional spaces, while gradually revealing views of the historic tower through glazed openings above. The interior atmosphere balances playfulness with material continuity, using mirrored stainless steel, copper-toned finishes, and wood surfaces to reinterpret the textures and colors of the original building.

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

The theatre itself sits at the center of the project, where four shades of wood reinterpret exterior motifs within an immersive performance environment designed for young audiences. Throughout the building, the architects sought to create spaces that encourage curiosity and movement while maintaining a strong connection to the site’s architectural history.

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Sustainability and circularity also play a central role in the project. Existing concrete and steel structures were preserved and reused, while black granite cladding from the former Ex Machina building was recycled into the new intervention. The newly glazed envelope incorporates thermally broken attachment systems to improve energy performance and durability.

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

Photo credit: James Brittain

By transforming a historic fire station into a vibrant cultural institution for children and youth, La Caserne demonstrates how adaptive reuse can simultaneously preserve urban memory, support sustainability goals, and create new forms of public engagement within historic cities.

Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architects (SBTA inc.)

Founded by Mario Saia in 1968, with Dino Barbarese and Vladimir Topouzanov joining as partners in 1987 and 2002 respectively, Saia Barbarese Topouzanov Architects is a firm dedicated to the practice of architecture and urban design.

Clear concepts that structure even the most complex projects, the sense of conviviality they foster, the presence of light, and a contemporary architectural vocabulary all characterize the firm’s work. The office has diverse expertise in urban projects, collective housing, and institutional projects (universities, sport centers, theaters, etc.).