Fort Chambly

Located 30 km southeast of Montreal, Fort Chambly rises at the foot of the Richelieu Rapids. Originally built in 1711 to defend the French colony, this stone fortification was preceded by three wooden forts.The fort was fully reconstructed in 1985 to match the final originally constructed phase of Fort Chambly (1718-1720). The fort was listed as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1979.

As part of a maintenance program the lighting project aimed to highlight the richness of its materials and forms inviting to its residents and visitors to rediscover the history of the site. Due to the historic value of the site and the existence of archaeological remains, no in-grade installations were permitted. The installation was further restricted by the proximity to the river, which eliminated the possibility of floodlights not mounted on the building. A conscious effort was made to reduce the amount of apparent hardware, reduce glare and cleanly light the cubic massiveness of the architecture.

After a series of onsite mockups, the optimal lighting solution for the surrounding grounds and exterior facades was determined to be a series of floods with variable optics mounted to existing and new lampposts, following reconfigured circulation paths. These projectors, combined with a complement of lighting in the interior court and bell tower, are individually addressed and controlled, allowing for customized scenes mapped to special events and celebrations.

CS Design was entirely responsible for the design, mockups, and construction documentation of this project. Throughout construction, CS Design worked in close collaboration with the project architects to coordinate wiring paths and integration, fixture mounting details, budgeting, and delivery schedule. Extensive aiming and commissioning completed the mandate.