One of the show-stealing innovations at Carnaval de Québec this year is the dome taking shape in front of the National Assembly, which will provide an enhanced experience for festival-goers.
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Quebec company Unison designed and manufactured the embankment structure and is also involved in installation. The dome is located in the courtyard of Bonhomme Palace and a statue is required to gain access to the site.
“This is the big innovation of this year. Inside the dome, there will be five musical evenings,” said the director general of the carnival, Marie-Eve Jacob.
Making the dome would require more than 6,000 kg of “Québec” aluminum, we carefully pointed out, and 4,000 kg of steel.
The unique design of the dome was created to meet the needs of the Carnaval de Quebec, which will be held from February 3 to 12, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Fog
“The biggest challenge of this feat was enduring the Quebec winter, which means snow. A technical challenge had to be faced at this scale. We want to hang up the stage equipment,” said Oliver Jobin, Unison’s vice president of business development.
World famous
The company, which has worked with stars like Celine Dion, Beyonce, Metallica, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake, exports 80% of its products. Unisson has been specializing in the development, design, manufacture and installation of aluminum structures in Canada for over 45 years. The company is notable for being behind the main stage at the Festival d’Day de Quebec, which was crowned the world’s largest freestanding aluminum stage.
For Carnival, this is a deal worth approximately one million dollars.
This collaboration is a great honor for Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, said Mr. Jobin says. The company also has another plant in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures.
“It’s a multi-purpose dome. We use it for the Quebec Carnival, but we also have a project called “Cold Island” next summer, which we’ll use for that,” Ms. Jacob said.
The dome will include a moderate stage for performers. The floor will not be covered, but a wall of ice will protect festival-goers from the wind and cold. Capacity is 2000 people. It will be Quebec’s largest winter event dome.
Programming
“Carnival targets a very large clientele. You’ll see in this year’s programming that during the day it’s more family-friendly, but in the evening, we’re aiming more for the younger, more festive crowd,” Ms Jacob said.
Expectations for this edition of the carnival, which is 70% self-funded, will return to pre-pandemic figures, according to the general manager. In terms of innovation, Carnival is bringing back two parades to its programming: Limoyle and Haute-Ville, in addition to a 500-foot slide at Place de Youville, which will launch from the castles, on an inner tube. Feelings of reassurance.
For Bonhomme’s palace, the theme is “Bonhomme’s Laboratory”. Different rooms offer sensory, auditory, light experiences.
Almost 90% of the palace construction work has been completed. About 2800 blocks of ice are used to build the structure.
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