Espace Riopelle budget balloons as construction set to begin
Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
editor@qctonline.com
The much-anticipated Espace Riopelle at the Musée national des Beaux-Arts du Québec (MNBAQ) will cost nearly twice as much as originally expected, the museum announced on April 4. The new building, which will house the world’s largest public collection of works by painter Jean Paul Riopelle, was originally budgeted at $42.5 million. It will now cost closer to $84 million, museum officials estimated in a press release.
Concrea, a construction firm based in Saint-Georges-de- Beauce, won a call for tenders and will construct the new building, designed by Montreal architecture firm Les architectes FABG. Construction should begin this spring, with the building expected to open in 2026.
The Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications (MCC), the Ville de Québec and the Fondation du MNBAQ all increased their financial contributions to the new wing. The MCC, which announced a $20-million contribution in 2021, has now pledged a total of $44 million. The city, which originally announced a $2.5-million contribution toward a circular room dedicated to Riopelle’s giant triptych Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, will contribute $5 million. The Fondation Jean Paul Riopelle, which originally committed $20 million, will contribute a maximum of $25 million. The Fondation du MNBAQ will contribute $10 million. “A fundraising campaign will be launched this fall with donors, sponsors and the business community in order to assure the continuity of the educational opportunities around the future Espace Riopelle,” the MNBAQ said in a statement.
“This project will catapult our museum into the future, giving it a unique building that will highlight the work of an exceptional artist,” said MNBAQ director general Jean- Luc Murray.
“The future Espace Riopelle will be an exceptional vitrine for our culture, and one more attraction for citizens and tourists. We’re privileged that the collection of this larger-than- life artist has been entrusted to our state museum,” Mayor Bruno Marchand said.
In an interview with Radio- Canada, Murray attributed the cost overruns to inflation and imprecise early estimates. “For a project of this scale, we think it’s very reasonable,” he said. “All of our partners decided to increase their contributions … everyone believes in it.”
The museum’s central pavilion and the Pavilion Gérard- Morisset are closed during construction, but the Pavilion Pierre-Lassonde remains open to visitors.