EVOQ Architecture

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

CHIBOUGAMAU-CHAPAIS AIR TERMINAL

EVOQ + ARTCAD architects

ARCHITECTS
ARTCAD Architects, EVOQ

CONTRACTOR
Construction Unibec

ARTIST
Emmanuelle Gendron

MANUFACTURERS
Swisspearl, Nordic Structures, ARCONAS, BESISTA, IC2 - Unicel Architectural / RAICO

ARCHITECTURE
Alain Fournier, Joël Sirard, Sami Tannoury, Kim An Truong, Alexandre Jean-bergeron, François Belleau, Karine Dieujuste, Huayna Sanchez Alfaro, Éric Leblanc, Louis Babin-st-jean, Eloïse Barry, Catherine Fontaine, Alexis Charbonneau, Pierre Bouchard, Geneviève René, Edith Dennis-larocque

PHOTOGRAPHS
Maxime Brouillet

AREA
1030 m²

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
Chibougamau, Canada

CATAGORY
Airport, Detail

Text description provided by architect.

The Chibougamau-Chapais airport is the gateway to the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. It services a large territory that includes the communities of Chibougamau, Chapais, and Oujé-Bougoumou.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

Faced with growing passenger traffic, a new terminal building was deemed necessary to meet the increasing demand.

The new terminal was designed according to the latest standards to provide a seamless passenger experience and to express the aspirations and culture of the communities it services.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

In addition to servicing air passengers, the airport is used for freight, medical evacuations, and forest firefighting operations.All these services need to be maintained on a continuous basis, posing a significant challenge during construction.

Rigorous planning and construction phasing, as well as careful site selection for the new terminal allowed operations to continue within the existing terminal throughout construction and for the airport tarmac to be enlarged once the new terminal was in operation.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

The new building is composed of two low structures on either side of a glazed concourse.

The latter serves as a central hub for passengers and connects all terminal functions and services, ensuring that they are easily identifiable and accessible.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

Its design establishes visual connectivity from the parking lot to the runway. Waiting travelers can watch their plane on the tarmac while others can monitor the pick-up and drop-off zone.

This fluidity is further reinforced by the consistent use of materials and lighting treatment when moving from interior to exterior spaces.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

The exterior façade features the name of the airport in Cree and in French and is adorned with artwork by Emmanuelle Gendron cleverly integrated into the transparency of the timber curtain walls, paying homage to the Eeyou Istchee region.

Gendron’s work was selected by a committee that included representatives from the communities of Chibougamau, Chapais, and Oujé-Bougoumou.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

Highlighting its proximity to the boreal forest, the terminal’s design showcases locally produced wood, particularly high-performance products such as glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structural slabs. The waiting area is delimited on three sides by timber curtain walls topped by a raised roof forming a south-facing clerestory.

The roof structure combines engineered wood and steel components. Stressed CLT panels spanning 12m are supported by wood columns at each end and reinforced with high-strength steel rods tying the center to the extremities.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet

The mixed structural system allows for large spans, creating an open public space. The system also allows for reduced roof thickness, while contributing to the interior shading strategy through its generous overhangs.

The curtain walls provide natural light as well as improved energy efficiency and contribute to structural bracing, while the clerestory acts as a load-bearing axis, eliminating the need for a structural beam.This minimalist, highly efficient approach underlines the project’s core design principles: transparency, lightness, comfort, and functionality.

Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
© Maxime Brouillet


Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
Sections
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
Elevations


Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
Existing Site Plan
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
Site Plan


Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
Ground Floor Plan
Chibougamau-Chapais Air Terminal
Details

EVOQ Architecture
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EVOQ Architecture
1435 St Alexander St #1000, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2G4, Canada