Architects and designers of the new 18,000-plus seat capacity Videotron Centre, Quebec City, traveled extensively before presenting the final plans for the new arena.
“We ended up being able to cherry pick the best features of each building we visited,” said Francois Moreau, of ABCP architectural firm and the head architect for the new arena.
And, as the form and idea began to take shape, the theme “snow and ice” was created.
“The winter here is very important,” Moreau said. “We began working around that symbol of snow and ice. We put windows where we want people to look out at the city and the mountains.”
Moreau said they formed a partnership with Populous because so many of the buildings they visited and from which they took ideas had been designed by Populous. “We wanted their expertise,” he said. “We had as many as 50 people working on the design of this building at one time.”
It was designed for the Canadian-style hockey viewing, somewhat different from what is found in the U.S. It is a steeper and more intimate bowl. The steepness of the bowl allows all seats to have a close-up and personal hockey experience.
The distribution has 11,100 seats in the lower bowl with 930 of them enjoying access to private clubs, 738 in the 80 suites, and one 360-degree suite level. The upper bowl has the remaining 7,000 seats in a rake so steep that the building code required rails at every row because the design exceeded the maximum rise allowed without them.
The first two levels have an open concourse design. “The bracing was done on the concrete stairways,” Moreau said. “So, when someone goes to a concession stand, they are never out of sight of the ice.”
On the top two levels, there is a 180-degree view for spectators.
Pierre Dion, CEO and president, Quebecor, the management company for the building, said about the open concourse: “You feel it is wide open. You can breathe.”
The ventilation system to the lower bowl seats is located under the seats, creating “a fantastic theater” type of feeling. In addition, the air conduct system was installed in the scoreboard. This system allows the air and heating fans to blow air into the bowl just right over the patrons’ eyes.
“It is very easy on the eyes,” Moreau said.
The exterior of the arena’s bowl has flowing horizontal lines and white metal interrupted by bands of clear glass. There is an irregularity to it, a design feature to reflect the theme of snow and ice.
From the outside, it is apparent that the arena’s bottom levels and top levels are the same diameter with the middle part of the building opening up wider.
“This design has reduced the volume to a minimum, reducing the costs of heating and air, so reducing the cost of overall operations,” Moreau said. “There are windows almost all the way around.”
There are concession stands and restrooms along the exterior of the building, but patrons are still able to see the natural lighting.
Another main exterior architectural component is the main entrance. It is shaped like a giant geometric glass box, with over 11,000 square feet of space (3,500 meters) containing 118,000 square feet of glass that forms the wall. “It can hold up to 4,000 people waiting in line,” Moreau said. “This way, they are not waiting outside.”
There is a glass wall between that entrance and the main building. On that glass wall, Moreau said there are dots, which again create a feeling of movement back to ice and snow.