Montreal Complex of Culture and Administration

For the competition, three large and very different programs needed to be placed within a single site: the Quebec government administration tower, the Montreal symphony hall and a school of dance and music. In order to create an urban language that mitigates the changes in scale and use of the site, the three program elements are organized in a system of parallel bands.

While still a cohesive structure unified as a whole, each “band” was given a unique identity by using wood in a variety of ways. The concert hall is clad with a dense layering of horizontal wood strips which glow in the night through intentional light “leaks” creating a shimmering, ambivalent form on the Montreal skyline. A double skin system made of wood and glass is used on the façade of the governmental tower, designed to vary in transparency and the level of light received by the office areas, reception areas and conference rooms.

Public circulation zones are inserted between the programmatic bands. A primary public passageway links the three program elements with a courtyard which acts as a meeting and civic space for the three buildings. The surface of the courtyards slopes to interfaces with different elevations along the edges of the site, spaces for outdoor theater and urban activities. This topographic space addresses the acoustical needs of the underground performance spaces. Skylights penetrate the courtyard floor allowing natural light to enter the spaces below.