The new Discovery and Visitor Services Centre will serve as the primary gateway for visitors to Îles-de-Boucherville National Park and as a flagship building for the Quebec national parks network. It stands out by embodying a philosophy that celebrates a unique, luminous, high-performance built environment, fully respectful of its context.

To enhance access to the site and circulation toward the water, the building volume was deliberately divided into two distinct parts. This fragmented arrangement defines a public space between the new volumes and frames the central circulation axis leading to the Channel. As a place for human interaction, gathering, and movement, this lively crossroads separates, on one side, the discovery-related functions, and on the other, the outdoor equipment rental functions.

The undulating perimeter of the buildings harmonizes with the natural surroundings and encourages a fluid circulation around the constructed spaces. Visitors walk along, pass through, and move beneath the curved surfaces, gradually discovering the space. The fluidity of the form is further emphasized by a textured screen: a series of wooden slats layered over the cladding around the building’s entire perimeter. This screen also acts as a filter for natural light, creating playful shadows on the ground, reminiscent of the drooping foliage of the willows that adorn the site.

Inside, the organic layout continues with a sinuous crack leading to the heart of the building: the skylight. Accentuated with linear lighting that interacts with the external undulating screen, this luminous channel animates the large discovery hall. Its inclined trajectory also directs air toward the skylight, promoting natural ventilation.