‘Faire le vide’ by Luca Fortin and Atelier mock/up – Photo by Maryse Béland.

Architecture. Perched atop a rocky island in the serene wilderness of Quebec’s Poisson Blanc Regional Park, Faire le vide—French for “make void”—is a poetic intervention where architecture, art, and landscape meet. Conceived by artist and architect Luca Fortin in collaboration with Atelier mock/up, this minimalist wooden cube is anything but simple on the inside. Though stark and monolithic from afar, it cradles a fluid, textured interior that quietly invites contemplation.

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Accessible only by canoe or kayak, Faire le vide is designed as both a destination and an experience. From the lake, it appears like a secret waiting to be discovered—a modest wooden form in quiet conversation with the surrounding forest and water. “Its form and materiality act as a subtle landmark,” says Fortin, who designed the structure to gently emerge from, not dominate, the natural setting.

Photo by Karma Photographie.

Constructed entirely from CNC-milled laminated cedar, the installation was prefabricated off-site and transported in pieces by boat, then carried and assembled by hand—no heavy machinery involved. This logistical challenge became an integral part of the work’s story, deepening its connection to place. The outer shell, clad in vertical slats, mirrors the upright rhythm of the trees, while inside, flowing curves and raw textures left by the milling tool echo the wind and water.

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This duality—between the rigid and the organic, the seen and the hidden—defines the experience. Visitors step through the geometric frame into a softened, sculptural space that feels intimate and protective, like entering the belly of the landscape itself. The textures inside are more than aesthetic: they’re records of process, reminders that even precision manufacturing can leave room for wonder and emotion.

Photo by Maryse Béland.

Faire le vide marks the beginning of a series of artistic interventions across Poisson Blanc’s islands. The initiative, launched by the park, aims to turn this rugged region into a cultural landscape—where outdoor recreation meets artistic reflection.

Photo by Behind Creation.

In the end, Faire le vide is not just an object, but an invitation. It asks us to slow down, to listen, to feel. To make space—for silence, for craft, for a moment of awe in the great outdoors. It’s a quiet reminder that beauty, like meaning, often lives in the in-between.

Photo by Maryse Béland.

All photos of Faire le vide are by Maryse Béland, Karma Photographie, Irvin Burel, and Behind Creation.

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Photo by Maryse Béland.