Montréal hotel marries elegance and modernity

by sadia_badhon | January 8, 2020 7:00 am

The Four Seasons Hotel Montréal building stands out with its streamlined, uniquely off-set volumes and textured accents. Photo courtesy Adrien Williams — The Four Seasons Hotel Montréal building stands out with its streamlined, uniquely off-set volumes and textured accents.
*Photo courtesy Adrien Williams*

At the heart of Montréal’s Golden Square Mile, against the backdrop of Mount Royal, the Four Seasons Hotel Montréal building combines classic elegance and contemporary style.

With a total surface area of 35,000 m² (376,737 sf), the 18-storey multifunctional building includes a 169-room hotel, 18 private residences, and 3250 m² (34,983 sf) of commercial spaces.

Designed by Lemay[2] and Sid Lee Architecture[3], the building stands out with its streamlined, off-set volumes and textured accents. Its interiors and exteriors are also integrated with the historic Holt Renfrew Ogilvy complex.

The lower floors respect the pedestrian scale and link the project to its streetscape, as the remaining three façades integrate on an urban scale.

The building’s angles define its hospitality, residential, and commercial vocations. The first floors are topped by a 500-guest ballroom with a massive terrasse offering views of the Leonard Cohen mural and Mount Royal.

At the tallest part of the building—14^th floor—the façade extends outward. Crowning the entire building, this overhanging volume includes private residences and their terraces.

Swathed in black, the tower captures light differently on each floor and interacts with Montréal’s ever-changing character. The effect is accentuated by each façade’s golden bas-relief that divides the main volume according to its interior functions. This golden rift changes the aspect of the building—it emerges through the volume, folds inward, and spreads vertically by creating a thin blade in the centre of the building.

The exterior envelope is a glass curtain wall whose opaque elements have been reduced to a minimum. Every component enables maximum fenestration and at nightfall, the dark colour of the glass lays a veil over the interior spaces and creates a subdued appearance.

The granite of the side façades reflects the rhythm of the glass panels in the assembly while its varying textures come to life under the influence of ambient light.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.constructioncanada.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Opener-2.jpg
Lemay: https://lemay.com/en
Sid Lee Architecture: https://sidleearchitecture.com/en/

Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/montreal-hotel-marries-elegance-and-modernity/