Gerard D. Levesque Building
Interiors
Client: Societé québecoise des infrastructures
Location: 12 Saint‑Louis Street, Quebec
Planned year of completion: 2027
Team: DFS in consortium with ABCP and Architecture49
Photo credits: Louise Leblanc (photos noir et blanc), DFS
Built between 1883 and 1889 by Eugène-Étienne Taché and Jean-Baptiste Derome, the former Quebec City courthouse is one of the finest examples of Second Empire style. Its Beaux-Arts interior décor, considered the most ornate in the province, features coffered ceilings covered with gold leaf and bronze, refined mouldings and noble materials such as Tennessee marble, walnut and bronze.
Converted in 1979 to accommodate the Ministry of Finance, the building has preserved much of its distinguished interior character. Notable features include the Hall of Honour, the Bar Association library with its solid bronze shelving, and an exceptional courtroom associated with the historic trial of Aurore l’enfant martyre, one of Québec’s earliest and most widely known legal cases, and a significant moment in the province’s social and judicial history.
In 2019, the SQI entrusted DFS, ABCP and Architecture49 with an ambitious seven-year restoration project involving the façades, roofs, mechanical systems and interior décor, in collaboration with the Centre de conservation du Québec. Project completion is scheduled for 2027.
Client: Societé québecoise des infrastructures
Location: 12 Saint‑Louis Street, Quebec
Planned year of completion: 2027
Team: DFS in consortium with ABCP and Architecture49
Photo credits: Louise Leblanc (photos noir et blanc), DFS
Built between 1883 and 1889 by Eugène-Étienne Taché and Jean-Baptiste Derome, the former Quebec City courthouse is one of the finest examples of Second Empire style. Its Beaux-Arts interior décor, considered the most ornate in the province, features coffered ceilings covered with gold leaf and bronze, refined mouldings and noble materials such as Tennessee marble, walnut and bronze.
Converted in 1979 to accommodate the Ministry of Finance, the building has preserved much of its distinguished interior character. Notable features include the Hall of Honour, the Bar Association library with its solid bronze shelving, and an exceptional courtroom associated with the historic trial of Aurore l’enfant martyre, one of Québec’s earliest and most widely known legal cases, and a significant moment in the province’s social and judicial history.
In 2019, the SQI entrusted DFS, ABCP and Architecture49 with an ambitious seven-year restoration project involving the façades, roofs, mechanical systems and interior décor, in collaboration with the Centre de conservation du Québec. Project completion is scheduled for 2027.
The ceremonial rooms reveal the full richness of the Beaux-Arts décor, where coffered ceilings, noble materials and refined ornamentation express their hierarchical importance.
The construction site reveals the meticulous work involved in dismantling, protecting and restoring the historic interior finishes. The emblematic centrepiece of the building, the Bar Association library, stands out for its exceptional heritage value and its Art Deco bronze elements, demonstrating the remarkable craftsmanship that the project aims to preserve and showcase.
Every element that catches our eye reflects the excellence of the craftsmanship that shaped the building. These exceptionally rich decorations illustrate a design in which architecture and decorative arts come together to form a total work of art.
