The Centre sportif de l’Université de Montréal (CEPSUM), an iconic facility originally built for the 1976 Olympic Games, holds deep historical significance both within its city and the Université de Montréal’s identity. As the home of the Carabins—the largest French-language university sports program in North America—it plays a vital role in shaping the athletic, social, and community life of its students and staff.
In 2024, the Université de Montréal launched a major revitalization project to breathe new life into the CEPSUM, focusing on updating the branding, signage, and environmental graphics across the complex. The goal was to create an inspiring, multifunctional environment that honours the facility’s Olympic legacy while adapting it to contemporary standards of comfort, accessibility, and visual coherence.
The intervention strategically blended bold design elements with the centre’s original architectural features. Throughout key areas—the swimming pool, football facilities, and common spaces—large-scale murals, custom signage, and environmental graphics celebrate the pride, values, and history of the Carabins. Royal blue, white, and black—integral to the team’s identity—were prominently incorporated, ensuring visual unity while energizing the spaces with a renewed sense of purpose.
In the football training rooms, dynamic photographic murals depict athletes in motion, creating a powerful sense of immersion and belonging. In common areas like the Guy-Fréchette Carabins Salon, signage interventions honour standout athletes and benefactors, strengthening the link between individual achievement and collective pride. The swimming pool, an architectural highlight of the facility, features bold graphic treatments that accentuate its dimensions while respecting its concrete structure and historical context.
Crucially, the branding work was not only aesthetic but functional. Graphic interventions were designed with durability, safety, and maintenance in mind, ensuring that the revitalization would stand the test of time in a high-traffic environment.
The project reflects a thoughtful dialogue between history and modernity—where every intervention contributes to the ongoing story of excellence, resilience, and collective ambition that defines the Carabins spirit.
