"The colorful glass facade shows off Montreal's "Latin" joie de vivre and
reputation for festivals and fun."
Mario Saia, Lead design Architect
Photo: Marc Cramer
The former Palais des Congrès, designed by Victor Prus (1984), was built
on top of a submerged autoroute in an area between Old Montreal and the
modern downtown core. Isolated from both the built and social environments
the facility no longer satisfied the rising demands linked to its
vocation.
Photo: Marc Cramer
The new design doubles the area of the original facility and, while
filling the void over the autoroute, also connects to the new Place
Riopelle and the bordering streets.
Following the urban grid the expansion interweaves with the existing
construction and, through the integration of historic buildings, draws
upon the vestiges of three centuries of Montréal.
Photo: Marc Cramer
To create a Palais open to the world, its city, and its people, the
architectural concept focuses on the aspects of light and transparency
with the use of three times more glassed surface area. As a result, at any
given time, the Palais and its city appear as an integrated whole.
Photo: Marc Cramer
Photo: Marc Cramer
Photo: Marc Cramer
A new public promenade links the expanded Viger Hall with that of the
formal Bleury Hall. The L-shaped passage, lined with a polychromatic glass
skin to the north and west, provides access to the grand escalators.
Transversal passages, faithful to the existing lines of Jeanne Mance and
Anderson streets, facilitate orientation.
Photo: Marc Cramer
Photo: Marc Cramer
The facades relate to the surrounding areas. On the downtown and Cité
Internationale side the desired transparency is articulated through the
immense facade whose colored glass panels create an interplay of light and
colour, producing an iridescent effect both inside and outside the
building. During the day, it is the array of colors that predominates,
while the dark of night brings out its transparency.
Photo: Marc Cramer
A luminous marquee runs the length of the facade that forms the defining
edge of the Place Jean-Paul Riopelle. The marquee protects the
decentralized entrance and, at the same time, creates an intermediate zone
between the building and the exterior that encourages neighborly
relations.
Photo: Marc Cramer
Photo: Marc Cramer
On the historic and introverted Old Montreal side the building responds to
the smaller scale stone buildings by the use of limestone, laid in bands,
as a common denominator. Translucent glass permits the internal services
to capture daylight without being exposed.
The Palais today, previously isolated in the city, has become a beacon and
center of attraction.
Drawing courtesy Société du Palais des Congrès
Drawing courtesy Société du Palais des Congrès
Total area expansion: 110,000 square meters
Total area restoration: 100,000 square meters
Completed: 2003
Client: Société du Palais des Congrès
Architects: Tétreault Dubuc Saia et associés
Lead Design Architect: Mario Saia
Project Architect: Michel Languedoc
Project Team:
- Vladimir Topouzanov
- Jean-Luc Touikan
- Fabien Nadeau
- Jean-Luc Vadeboncoeur
- Dino Barbarese
- Gilles Parent
- Jean-Claude Dupuis
- Truong Tuan Nguyen
- Yvon Théoret
- Steve Proulx
- Vivian Irschick
- François Massicotte
- Yves Proulx,
- Nicole Olivier
- Eric Stein
- Céline Gaulin
- Dominique Dumont
- Denis Chouinard
- Julie Bélanger
- Louise Nagy
- Josée St-Pierre
- Alain Thibodeau
- Martin Gagnon
- Martin Roy
- Adriett Osorio
- Louis Philippe Riopelle.
Consulting Team
Architects: Hal Ingberg Architect
Structural Engineer: Dessau-Soprin
Mechanical Engineer: Pageau Morel et associés / Genivar
Interior: Les architectes Tétreault Dubuc Saia et associés
Landscape Architect: Claude Cormier Architectes Paysagistes
Contractor: Gespro / BFC / Divco
