Description of Historic Place

Building 16, also known as the Museum Office and former Cooperage, is located in the area in front of the gorge of the Prince of Wales Bastion at the Québec Citadel National Historic Site of Canada. It is a small, rectangular, one-storey stone building with a low hipped roof covered in tin sheet metal. Its main façade is pierced by a central door and two windows evenly placed on either side. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Building 16 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Building 16 is associated with the third phase in the development of the military community on the heights of Cap-aux-Diamants, the lengthy period of its gradual completion as a fortress, from 1839 to 1857.

Architectural Value
Building 16 is valued for its good aesthetic design. Its simple architectural treatment reflects the utilitarian function of the building. Demonstrating a good functional design, its walls are solid masonry and the roof is covered with tin sheet metal laid with flat seams “à la canadienne.” Good craftsmanship and use of materials are evident throughout.

Environmental Value
Building 16 reinforces the historic character in front of the gorge of the Prince of Wales Bastion. It is a familiar building at the Québec Citadel.

Sources: Rhona Goodspeed, Buildings, Citadel, Quebec, Quebec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 88-161; Former Cooperage, Building No. 16, Museum Office, La Citadelle, Quebec, Quebec, Heritage Character Statement, 88-161.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Building 16 should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and functional design and good materials and craftsmanship, for example:
- the small, rectangular, one-storey massing with a low hipped roof;
- the roof covering which consists of tin sheet metal laid with flat seams ‘à la
canadienne’;
- the walls of solid masonry with regular courses;
- the façade pierced by a central door and two evenly placed windows;
- the window lintels and the window and door frames built of smooth stone, and the
small-paned windows with metal hinges;
- the interior masonry and floor treatment.

The manner in which Building 16 reinforces the historic character of its setting and is a familiar landmark at the Citadel, as evidenced by:
- its overall scale, massing and materials, which are fully compatible and maintain a
relationship with the surrounding buildings that form the old French Powder Magazine
(Museum of the Royal 22nd Régiment) and the former Armoury and former Powder
Magazine (Men’s and Women’s Barracks, Building 2);
- its role as a museum office and as a component of the Québec Citadel, which makes it
familiar.