Even if it was protected by the State, a jewel of modern heritage has just been destroyed by mechanical shovels in Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson.
One of the greatest jewels of modern architecture in Quebec, the Estérel Center, was destroyed this Friday. The main building of the complex was in principle protected to the highest degree by the Quebec state, but not its outbuildings. Everything went there finally, under the action of two large mechanical shovels.
The mayor of Sainte-Marguerite du lac-Masson, Gilles Lupien, says he 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 carousel, which adjoins the protected main 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, France Vanlaethem, professor emeritus at the UQAM School of Design, expressed public concern about this partial demolition project approved by the Ministry of Culture and Communications (MCC). “We even communicated our concerns to the ministry. In response, we received a letter that said nothing at all.
A predictable situation
On March 9, Renée Genest, Executive Director of Action Patrimoine, and France Vanlaethem, President of Docomomo Québec, even wrote a letter to Mr. Jean-Jacques Adjzian, Director of the Department’s Heritage Department, to guard. “We would like to be reassured that all checks have been made before authorizing the partial demolition” of the building, wrote the duo. “The intervention on the rear part of the building should not jeopardize the stability of the front, part of which has recently collapsed. »
Genest and Vanlaethem also asked the MCC “if the structural studies of this building, which is one of the first concrete constructions, validate the demolition. The MCC did not respond in any meaningful way, regrets Ms. Vanlaethem.
In a tweet launched on Friday mid-afternoon, the minister responsible, Nathalie Roy, said: “I have just learned that the listed heritage building in the Estérel estate in the Laurentians has been demolished illegally, without any permission. She adds that she “asked the ministry to shed full light on what happened.” She concludes by saying, “We will enforce the law. »
Does France Vanlaethem manage to explain to herself what could have caused the loss of a building whose importance everyone recognized? “I’m not surprised, I’ll tell you. Did the owner of the property have a particular interest in the heritage of Quebec? I do not know. I do not 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. »
In danger for years
The location of this Art Deco-style resort complex, built in the Laurentians between 1936 and 1937 by the Belgian Baron Louis Empain, has been denounced many times by the Order of Architects. The architects said they were outraged that “the cradle of architectural modernity in Quebec” is in danger despite its classification.
When he bought the premises in the 1930s, the Belgian baron was not yet thirty years old. Rich as Croesus, he entrusts an architect of international reputation with the task of designing an exceptional building. 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 leads 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 on site. A partial demolition was quickly planned, even if 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 classified the building which borders Lake Masson as well as specific elements of its Art Deco decoration. But the building was nevertheless left in an almost complete abandonment. Despite several calls to act. The duty several times brought to the attention of the public the state of decay that threatened this exceptional building.