The project was inspired by the divergent scales of the context. It is a dialogue between ground and sky. It is a convergence of a large iconic object that engages the sky and horizon, and a manipulation of the topography, the ground, that engages the finer grain elements of the context. It has an agenda around its place within the landscape, the river the highways and other large buildings. This is where the large circular ‘forum’ signifies the building and an important fulcrum for Laval. It is an archetypal iconic form, and is at the scale of the landscape.

On the other hand Place Bell needed to provide delight at a fine grain for the community and the users, becoming a place of interaction and experience, where the materials shift and the building frames engages spaces at a human scale. This is how the landscape and plaza seamlessly merges in the public space, the entrances are framed and extended by form and shifts in materiality, and art is integral to the user experience.

It tries to create an iconic form for Laval, recognisable from far away that is clearly not another ‘big box’. It really tries to frame future development, become a ‘forum’ for the community and users, as well as a touchstone for a vibrant cultural and sports community.