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THE BRIEF

Memorial services are known to be places of reflection — but rarely do they inspire meditations on design. And yet a revamped funeral home in Quebec City’s quiet Beauport borough has become a testament to the comforting role that a well-crafted space can play in the mourning process. One of the oldest funeral cooperatives in Canada, La Seigneurie was based out of cramped, outdated facilities when it brought in two local firms — Ultralocal Architectes and interior design studio Perron — for a total reincarnation. “The client asked us to completely rethink the user’s feeling and experience in the space,” explains Maryse Tourangeau, project manager at Perron. The outcome is nothing short of resplendent.

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THE SETTING

Since 1989, the funeral home had occupied a skinny building with beige walls, multiple garages and few windows — a poor fit for the community-oriented cooperative. Its renovation doubles the building size with an extension centred on a bright atrium, transforming the interior circulation and introducing daylight throughout.

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THE DESIGN

Under the atrium’s circular skylight, a seating area links the chapel and private family rooms. “The grieving areas on the ground floor were designed to offer space to breathe,” says Sarah Eve Hébert, associate artistic director at Perron. The compact spatial planning is executed with nuance, from the reception hall kept distanced on the second floor to the dedicated playroom — with a child-sized doorway — that allows adults to congregate without losing sight of their children. “We really wanted to have special consideration for the kids going through long and difficult days,” explains Tourangeau.

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THE DETAILS

Throughout, Perron created an inner landscape infused with colour and character, something the firm excels in. “We started with a warm and simple canvas with a lot of wood and texture to bring a sense of reality and nature,” explains Hébert. Every area carries a distinct material treatment: The atrium is filled with plants, hand-glazed tiles adorn the family rooms, and subdued cement panels catch light in the chapel. “We worked with five different concrete techniques to really enhance each surface,” says Hébert.

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THE SOUL

Reaction to the design has been overwhelmingly positive — especially to the range of materials and textures. “People love the natural light and the simplicity,” says Tourangeau. As a reflection of an empathetic design process, however, the reception hall truly shines. A place to gather in times of grief, it deploys unexpectedly cool tones across carpets, tiles and a playful mural. “We wanted to reflect joy and life with blues, greens and big flower patterns,” explains Hébert. “Everyone was surprised that the colours are in harmony with everything else, but it’s our speciality.” Sometimes coping with death calls for the occasional moment of vitality.