Traversing from Old Quebec to the trendy Saint-Roch neighborhood of Québec City, there is a building that appears to be a large, beautiful church. If you walk up the steps and peek in the door, you’ll find that this is not actually a church but a library, the Maison de la littérature!
Formerly the Wesley Temple built in 1848 for the Methodist community, the church had a second life as the Canadian Institute Hall after being deconsecrated in 1931. As part of the CIH, a public Vieux-Quebec library, was opened and the building served the public for the next 60-plus years. Upon the institute’s closing, the city wanted to retain the library for its citizens while still meeting the needs of its literary community. The Maison de la littérature was created to meet those needs.
Immediately upon walking in, you feel reverence. Perhaps it’s the automatic notion to be quiet in a library; perhaps it’s the divine respect for walking into a house of worship. The space is breathtaking; it’s clear that the library exists in the confines of a former church: the large windows are clear and allow natural light into the space, the interior is white, evoking the new and innovative concept of merging two industries, the former choir loft now holds bookshelves, study carrels, and office space, and the chandelier somehow gives off a religious vibe despite it being secular. The space is peaceful, respectful, and intimate, even with an open-concept layout.
