Grand Théâtre de Québec - Addition of Structural Glass Shell

Client : Grand Théâtre du Québec

The original Grand Théâtre de Québec building, constructed in 1971, has experienced significant deterioration of its precast concrete façade. The solution selected to remedy this erosion is the installation of a structural glass envelope to cover the entire perimeter of the existing building. This innovation will preserve the heritage of the building and showcase its brutalist architecture, immortalized by Victor Prus.

ELEMA was mandated to design the glass systems of this new translucent envelope with an approximate surface area of 5,900 m²(63,500 ft²). The specifications of each glass type and thickness was selected according to its application in the façade (horizontal, vertical, corner or angle). A dozen different assemblies for the glass were designed.

TECHNICAL CHALLENGES :

System designed to consider operating range from -30 ° C (-22 ° F) to 80 ° C (176 ° F).
Glazing and fastening designed to ensure resistance to wind, seismic, thermal and snow loads.
Design of a joint system between the glasses with a width of 31 mm (1.22 in).

NOTABLE SOLUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS :

Design of mounting plates made entirely of aluminum to avoid the risk of corrosion.
Fastening system designed to avoid piercing and glass cutting.
Custom design of the entire facade fastening system to respect the architectural intent.
Use of 2x10 and 10+12 tempered laminated glass with a 1.52 mm (0.060 in) SGP interlayer film.

To see this project via Google Street View…

To consult the web camera of the construction site (tab "Travaux en direct") ...