Centre de glaces de Québec

Inspired by the achievements of the great Olympic speed skating champions, the Centre de glaces de Québec is a first for the province and the largest of its kind in North America. The 400-metre indoor ice ring features two Olympic-sized rinks for short-track speed skating, figure skating and hockey, as well as a three-lane, 465-metre athletic track.

Speed, in all its forms, was at the heart of the conceptualisation of the Centre de glaces: the shape of the building evokes its use, a true transposition of what takes place inside. It refers to movement, as well as the speed, dynamism, balance, and fluidity of the skater. In the same vein, the outer envelope, made of cut-outs and projections, echoes the profiles of the landscape while continuing to evoke movement. The Centre de glaces de Québec required a sensitive approach that would promote community appropriation and user comfort. The centre’s identity is rooted in openness, and the building has become a new gathering place in Quebec City, a place where the sport of ice skating is democratized and open to all – from Olympic athlete to beginners and families within the community. It acts as an ode to the province’s nordicity, to active life, to the elegance of speed skating and to the skillful prowess of the people who come to practice this high-level sport.