BLACK BOX II | Natalie Dionne Architecture
Montréal, Canada

Photo credits: Raphaël Thibodeau
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PROJECT DETAILS:
Official name of the project: BLACK BOX II
Location:Borough Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, QC, Canada
Area of project: 2 130 ft2/198 m2
Addition:180 ft2/17 m2
Project end date: Winter 2018
Architect/Designer:Natalie Dionne Architecture
Project Managers: Natalie Dionne
Design team: Natalie Dionne, Martin Laneuville, Corinne Deleers and Ariane Côté-Bélisle
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BLACK BOX II is the latest in a series of tiny additions impacting existing architecture in a big way. Conceived as a jewelry box, large openings blur the interior/exterior boundary, revealing its treasure of fine cabinetmaking work within through the playful use of complementary surface materials.







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The BLACK BOX II addition is covered with large plates of iridescent, black fibre cement board, with a perforated motif for the loggia, finely assembled with matching rivets. In contrast, blond wood and light porcelain and ceramics, illuminate the interior.
When large windows fold open to incorporate the garden into the home, interior and exterior materials interact to connect spaces. Inside, oak wood paneling covers the walls and ceiling of the shed, while a lattice of western red cedar lines the exterior alcove. The slate slabs of the terrace adjoin the concrete-like porcelain floor of the kitchen. Heritage of the past, the original oak wood floor of the dining room, preserved and restored, set the tone. The kitchen island, made of solid oak, stands monumentally in the centre and serves as an altar to daily rituals. At the perimeter stands, more soberly, white or black furniture and cabinetry.