Vivarium

Kuehn Malvezzi + Pelletier De Fontenay + Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architects in consortium, Montreal Insectarium, Montreal, Quebec

James Brittain

“Very soothing, conducive to contemplation. The path leads us to a figure who also seems to be in a contemplative state. The eye is constantly redirected inward. It twirls around, like the butterflies, here and there. This structure is imposing, but seems so light at the same time.” – Félix Michaud, juror

A visit to Montreal’s new Insectarium is an enchanting journey of discovery, where the line between built and natural space is intriguingly dissolved.

A labyrinth of immersive underground chambers experienced from an insect’s point of view leads to a grand tomb-like dome adorned with butterflies and bugs. The metamorphosis for the visitor ends in the grand Vivarium, pictured here.

The photograph is from a series I was commissioned to make by the project architects, Berlin’s Kuehn Malvezzi and Montreal’s Pelletier de Fontenay with Jodoin Lamarre Pratte.