One of the jewels of modern architecture in Quebec, the Domaine-de-l’Estérel, was destroyed on Friday. The main building of the complex was in principle protected to the highest degree by the Quebec state, but not its outbuildings. Everything finally happened, under the action of two large mechanical shovels.
The mayor of Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Gilles Boucher, is devastated. “We had an exceptional building, a masterpiece. We just lost it. The Ministry of Culture and Communications sent us a demolition permit. We had no resources or criteria to oppose it. We just had to issue the permit. »
The owner wanted to demolish the rear part. “That’s what they did. And the cultural center, the most beautiful part, came with it! There, everything was hanging by a thread. And everything fell apart. It’s finish. »
A few days ago, in a letter published by The duty, France Vanlaethem, professor emeritus at UQAM’s School of Design, was publicly concerned about the partial demolition project approved by the Ministry of Culture and Communications. She traced the history of the building in the same breath.
In an interview, Mr.me Vanlaethem says he communicated his “concerns to the ministry”. In response, she says, “we received a letter that said nothing at all.” The missive was intended to be reassuring: “The Ministry pays particular attention to the preservation of the various interior and exterior components of the classified part which face many problems. »
The authorities detail that their decision “to allow the demolition of the rear section is explained, among other things, by the desire to limit access to the property in a context where the state of degradation of this section justified it, and this, without harming well-classified”. But, in the end, everything was razed.
Was the work well supervised? On March 9, Renée Genest, Executive Director of Action Patrimoine, and France Vanlaethem, President of Docomomo Québec, wrote a joint letter to the Chief Heritage Officer of the MCC, Jean-Jacques Adjizian, to sound the alarm. . “We would like to be reassured that all checks have been made before authorizing the demolition [partielle de l’édifice]. The intervention on the rear part of the building should not jeopardize the stability of the front,” the duo wrote.mes Genest and Vanlaethem also wondered “if structural studies of this building, which is one of the first concrete constructions, validate[ai]ent the demolition”.
Their observations will have gone unheeded until their fears materialize.
“Illegal”, says the minister
According to the minister in charge, Nathalie Roy, the heritage property was illegally destroyed. In and tweet launched Friday afternoonMme Roy claims to have learned “that the listed heritage building in the Domaine de l’Estérel, in the Laurentians, was demolished illegally, without any authorization”. She adds that she “asked the ministry to shed full light on what happened” and concluded by affirming that the law will be applied.
“I’m not surprised,” says France Vanlaethem. “Did the owner of the property have a particular interest in the heritage of Quebec? I don’t know, I don’t know him. Did the Ministry of Culture closely monitor the work? The ministry had not seen fit, in any case, to protect the whole property. And that’s it: now it’s over. »
At the time these lines were written, the Ministry of Culture and Communications had not responded to questions from the To have to.
In danger for years
The situation of this Art Deco-style resort complex, built by the Belgian Baron Louis Empain between 1936 and 1937, has been denounced many times by the Order of Architects. The latter was indignant that “the cradle of architectural modernity in Quebec” finds itself in danger despite its classification.
When he bought the premises in the 1930s, the Belgian baron was not 30 years old. Rich as Croesus, he entrusts an internationally renowned architect with the task of designing an exceptional building in the middle of the Laurentians. The contract went to one of his compatriots, Antoine Courtens, a winner of the Prix de Rome. In 1938, the complex was inaugurated with a grand reception in the ballroom; none other than Benny Goodman conducts the orchestra.
The original center included a cabaret restaurant, a cinema, offices, apartments, a garage and a gas station. Chalets are associated with it. In one of them, the novelist Georges Simenon will write three novels, including one of his most famous, Three bedrooms in Manhattan.
The property changed hands several times before being acquired by the municipality in 1978, which converted it into a community center and town hall.
In 2013, a private promoter bought the complex to build a recreational and hotel center there. A partial demolition was quickly planned, even though the MRC des Pays-d’en-Haut had included this area as one of the important components of the heritage of its territory in its cultural policy and its development plan. Faced with general indignation, the ministry had classified the building bordering Lake Masson as part of Quebec heritage, as well as specific elements of its Art Deco style. The building was nevertheless left in an almost complete abandonment despite several calls to action.