Inauguration of the Québec National Assembly’s reception pavilion
National Assembly President François Paradis today inaugurated the Assembly’s new reception pavilion. The ceremony was held in the presence of Premier François Legault; the leader of the official opposition, Pierre Arcand; the leader of the second opposition group, Manon Massé; and the leader of the third opposition group, Pascal Bérubé.
Capping three years of works, the expansion of the Parliament Building, designed by Provencher_Roy architects in consortium with GLCRM, modernizes the heritage site and grants citizens access to a bold and impressive learning space. The new pavilion also integrates security systems in step with today’s technologies and global context.
From the outside, the reception pavilion has a discreet presence, as it is built underground, beneath the Parliament Building’s facade. The entrance seamlessly integrates into the existing architecture, beneath the monumental staircase, thus respecting the National Assembly as the symbol of Québec’s identity, conserving the layout of the Parliament gardens, and preserving the iconic facade designed by Eugène-Étienne Taché.
In their entirety, the new structures result in a 5,100 m2 expansion. In addition to the reception areas, the impressive agora with its dominating oculus, and the multipurpose teaching room, the pavilion includes two new parliamentary commission rooms: Marie-Claire-Kirkland commission room, in honour of the first woman elected as a Member of Parliament in 1961 and appointed Minister in 1962, and Pauline-Marois commission room, in honour of the first woman to hold the position of Premier of Québec in 2012.
“The National Assembly, as the house of the people, has a duty to remember. It is a bridge between past and present, and serves as the reflection of what we were, what we are, and what we will become,” declared President François Paradis.
The public is invited to discover the new pavilion on June 1 and 2, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. For the full list of activities, visit the National Assembly’s Web site.
Click here to view the Québec National Assembly’s press release.