Thinking about tomorrow’s society
As published on March 30, 2019, in the special section “Les Grands Bâtisseurs” in Le Devoir
“Montréal is buzzing with excitement. Development and modernization projects at Montréal Trudeau International Airport, the extension of the blue metro line, the construction of hospitals and cultural institutions... Major projects are underway in all areas. Nicolas Ranger, senior partner at the firm Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes, sees this as “an opportunity to demonstrate our openness to the world by drawing inspiration from international projects and exploiting Montréal’s full creative potential.”
As project manager for the transformation of the Montréal Insectarium, Nicolas Ranger is delighted to see work begin in a few days. This project, led by a multidisciplinary Quebec-German team, represents a major renovation, better suited to the Insectarium’s operations, he explains. “The Insectarium is an atypical program; you don’t build many insectariums in a lifetime!”
This project is a continuation of the architect’s work, who has already contributed to cultural projects in the past, such as the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, the Théâtre Gilles-Vigneault, a performance hall in Saint-Jérôme that opened last year, and the Bibliothèque Raymond-Lévesque in Longueuil. “These are cultural projects with different programs, but they share the same approach to ensuring a rich experience for the public in the spaces they visit,” he notes.
Another project currently under construction for which Nicolas Ranger is responsible is the new connection centre for passengers at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport: “This new space will increase the capacity of the large arrivals hall, through which all international passengers must pass when arriving in Montréal,” he says.
Also at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Nicolas Ranger is overseeing the development of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) station. This complex project will connect the airport to the city and integrate it into the vast public transportation network.
The strength of collaborative projects
The architect is convinced that without teamwork, the large-scale institutional projects he is involved in could not be realized. “Many people are involved in these projects, and an organized collaborative process is put in place very early on,” he points out. “This is a far cry from the cliché of the architect sitting alone in his office, making all the big decisions about every detail of a project.”
Nicolas Ranger also welcomes the increasing number of women in the profession, whose presence he believes brings a new perspective to the practice and whose work is beginning to be seen in new buildings. At Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes, more than 60 percent of the firm’s 110 team members are women, and two of them are partners; “an important role that corresponds to the development of the company and is very welcome!”
About Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes
Nicolas Ranger is one of six senior partners at Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes. With the firm since 2001 and a senior partner since 2011, he serves as a designer and project manager in the fields of transportation, culture, health, and education. “The aspect I enjoy most is collaboration. It is a recurring theme in our projects to establish constant dialogue between the various stakeholders involved in architectural development,” he says.
Over the past sixty years, this leading Montréal firm has demonstrated its ability to develop the team and knowledge necessary to carry out major projects. It has evolved in step with Quebec society. “We are the heirs to this organization, which we continue to develop. We always ensure that we create buildings that will stand the test of time by using durable materials and functional architectural details that are viable in our northern climate. We are part of the major architectural trends, while adapting them to Quebec’s climate and cultural context.”
Metamorphosis of the Montréal Insectarium
In the future Insectarium, visitors will walk through an underground architectural journey and, thanks to the tools of scenography, will be able to feel vibrations and see and hear as insects do. This project won a 2018 Award of Excellence from Canadian Architect.
Kuehn Malvezzi / Pelletier De Fontenay / Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes in consortium
Permanent connection centre for passengers at Montréal Trudeau International Airport
This new arrivals hall will save travellers time. It will separate passengers in transit from those arriving at their destination, so that in the future, each group will have a separate arrivals hall to speed up border control.
Renovation of the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier and foyers
The redesign of the spaces, with the addition of bars, furniture, and architectural elements, won the 2018 Opération patrimoine Montréal grand prize in the “Redonner vie” (Bringing Back to Life) category and the 2017 Ordre des architectes du Québec award of excellence in the “Mise en valeur du patrimoine” (Heritage Enhancement) category.
Atelier TAG / Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes in consortium
