Text description provided by the architects. The new building of Théâtre la Licorne like the theater company that runs it , La Manufacture, has a strong bond with its surrounding area. It tends to communicate with the city and reflects the type of theater that it produces: straightforward and urban. Aesthetic choices made during the design phase also reflects the idea of "manufacture": Simplicity of form and the use of raw materials: glass, metal, concrete, brick... Apparent structure, ventilation ducts and plumbing. Elements borrowed from industrial buildings: cable trays, concrete floors...
The project is designed like a compact machine combining two theaters (la Grande and la Petite Licorne) and a rehearsal room that are organized around a unifying hall. The latter includes ticketing services and a bar where the public can stop before or after performances. Its dimensions commonly found in bars located on the ground floor of duplex and triplex of Plateau Mont-Royal district and it reuses typical architectural elements of this neighborhood: brick walls, spiral metal staircase.
Spaces of representations and productions have been thought of as neutral spaces, as black boxes. The two theaters are fully independent and two shows can be presented simultaneously. La Petite Licorne has a capacity of 90 to 114 seats while La Grande Licorne has 176 to 227 seats. The performance spaces are equipped with removable bleachers that can be organized according to the various scenic needs. La Grande Licorne has a motorized technical grid facilitating stage montage and managing . Located upstairs and overlooking the avenue Papineau, the rehearsal room can eventually be turned into a studio. It is adjacent to a terrace aligned with those of neighboring buildings.
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