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A collaboration between the Government of Canada, Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM), and the City of Montreal, an unconventional new office building has begun its ascent in the city's entertainment district, Quartier des Spectacles. The revered National Film Board will be among the major tenants of Îlot Balmoral, reserving six of the 13 floors in the building.
Outfitted with an arresting design by Provencher Roy, the crystalline structure is visually divided into two distinct solid forms, broken down the middle by an "oblique fault line." This irregular distinguishing feature births a stunning full-height atrium generously supplied with natural light via large glass walls. With suspended walkways joining the two volumes, the transparent facade will grant those inside the building an uninterrupted view of the Place des Festivals, the main public square within Quartier des Spectacles. It's the red branding of this gathering place that inspired the building's striking crimson accents.
The building's green roof and eco-friendly workspaces will help it attain LEED NC Gold 2009 accreditation, with substantial energy savings to boot. The 280,000-square-foot building is expected to welcome its first tenants in the summer of 2018.
But first, the intriguing and complicated task of constructing the multi-faceted project must be performed. Our previous photo update showed the building had just reached grade, and now, recent photos highlight the misshapen and disjointed floor plates taking shape. At the rate crews are moving, it shouldn't be too long before glazing is installed. And considering Montreal's notoriously grey winter, suitably demonstrated in the images above and below, a splash of red may temporarily lift the spirits of pedestrians strolling by the site.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
