In 2010 an architectural competition was launched for the design of a new 9 000 seat amphitheatre to revitalize the city’s depressed economy while at the same time support its cultural offering.

The project creates a landmark on one of the city’s most beautiful site, previously occupied by a paper mill that was shut down in the early 2000s due to the industry’s collapse. The site’s location, adjacent to the harbour front park, the city centre, the Saint Lawrence River and Saint Quentin Island, called for a majestic, harmonious and vibrant construction.

“Because of its location on an open site along two major waterways, it is much more than an amphitheatre,” says architect Paul Laurendeau. “It is a new landmark that extends the citys’ boundary to the water.

The Monumental Roof in Construction

Views of the project from the competition renderings in 2011 to the final built work in 2016.

The iconic roof with it sharp edge and 8 slender columns has been realized as planned. Its colour evolved from black to red to create more drama and intensity in relation to its function.

Wood Letters

Are they made of wood? The 6-meter tall letters that spell the name of the city TROIS-RIVIÈRES are made of 200 mm thick cross-laminated timber wood supplied by KLH of Austria. They were cut at the factory and sent by container over the Atlantic from Hamburg to the port of Montreal.

Concrete is a natural material with tactile properties. It imposes a sense of solidity and eternity. It’s surface is shiny when poured into smooth formwork.

The audience seating is the most important part of the Amphitheatre. There is a zone with fixed seats for 3 500 people and a gentle sloping lawn that can hold about 5 200. Sightlines determine the rake of the slope to offer optimal visibility towards the stage.

The Seating Layout

The orchestra is divided into sections from 101 to 303 based on a stadium organization.

Seats in each section are separated between even and odd numbers to help increase crowd flow. The first 10 rows of the orchestra feature movable seats to create a standup zone called a mosh pit, a configuration normally used for rock concerts. There are 397 movable seats in the mosh pit area with rows labelled AA to KK.

Section 200 is considered the VIP section with seats clustered in groups of 12 and 16 in boxes.

There are 38 foldable seats with high legs at the front of sections 301 and 303 that form alcoves for people in wheelchairs to take place.

There are 3 078 fixed seats for a grand total of 3 513 seats including the movable seats. Seat widths range from 20” to 23” to balance rows and create straight side aisles. This variation creates an offset with the seat in the next row in front and resolves visibility issues.