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425 Viger W.
By : Lemay
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Commercial Building / Mid & High-Rise Office Building (≥ 5 storeys) : Silver Certification
Inspired by the rich history of Old Montreal’s Paper Hill, Lemay’s transdisciplinary team viewed the restoration of the Read Building, or 425 Viger West, as a contemporary expression of its original purpose and architecture. Writing its new chapter would draw on the preservation of its heritage while attuning itself to its present-day surroundings, where 425 Viger West’s revitalized state would unify the past and present by blending a cohesive mix of heritage masonry with modern materiality. As passersby round this building’s corners, they step through time, walking from heritage masonry dating back to 1912 and into the steel and glass of a city’s international district—all within a single retrofitted structure.
Whether printed, folded, crumpled, or stacked, paper was at the heart of the inspiration for the building’s renewal—something found in subtle details such as the polygonal folds between its exterior transparent curtains of glass. This concept, however, is best found in a gem that lies between the façade on Viger Street which the original Read Building restored by architects and the new extension façade found on De la Gauchetière: A single corridor linking the two parallel streets, where the ground floor ceiling inside pays homage to a city’s robust past in printing.
A play of light and articulated folding, this corridor’s ceiling was made to resemble a folded piece of paper unfurling from one end of the space to the other, creates an architectural journey that interconnects history with the moment one walks the lengths of the passageway. Reflecting light onto the dark and mirrored walls and playing with users’ perception of the space, the ceiling layers upon itself, seemingly buckling and oscillating like bellows. With soft wood tones and white marble flooring to enhance its contrast with the dark bottomless space of the walls’ reflections, the ceiling and its delicate forms and lines are placed at the center of attention.
Collaboration
