MOUNT STEPHEN CLUB AND HOTEL COMPLEX
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
The project involves the revitalization of the Mount Stephen Club located
on Drummond Street, in downtown Montreal. In addition to being a designated
heritage landmark, the building is a true gem of the 19th century
bourgeois architecture.
The Mount Stephen Club, designed by architect William Titus Thomas,
is classified as a Historical Monument of Quebec. Mr. Thomas designed stately
homes in Montreal, such as the Shaughnessy House (included to the Canadian
Centre for Architecture), the 1923 René-Lévesque Boulevard West (1874),
the William Dow Residence, the Strathearn House and the 1175-1181,
place du Frère-André (Brother-Andre Plaza) (1860-1861).
The heritage value of the building lies in its architectural interest. By its opulence
and overall integrity, this bourgeois residence is one of the most remarkable
in the province. With its neo-Renaissance style, it features a combination of formal
and stylistic elements inspired by the urban palaces of the Italian Renaissance.
The heritage value of the building is also due to its well-preserved interiors.
It is, in fact, one of the most sumptuous 19th century interior of Quebec,
and its state of preservation is astonishing, as much for its rooms
integrity as for its decor.
Finally, the heritage value of the building comes from its historical interest.
On the one part, the building is associated with Mr. George Stephen, a Scottish
tycoon of the textile industry, who had a major influence on the Montreal business
community as well as on the Canadian economy, especially as the president
of the Bank of Montreal and as the co-founder and president of Canadian Pacific
Railway. On the other part, the building is intrinsically linked to its private club
activities, which gathered the male elite of the financial and political world.
In 1975, the old residence was registered as a Historical Monument by the Quebec
Government and designated as a National Historic Site by the Government of
Canada. The building is currently vacant and no longer houses the private club,
which was suspended in 2010 pending the redevelopment project.
To revitalize the site and reposition Mount Stephen Club in the Montreal’s cultural
landscape, the owner plans to build a prestigious 80-room boutique hotel
featuring banquet rooms for 500 patrons. With new attributes such as a modern
kitchen, an underground parking lot of 96 spaces and diverse amenities such
as a spa and a gym, the Mount Stephen Club will continue to greet members
of the Montreal business community, and so, for generations.
The purpose of this proposal is to present a redevelopment project that does
not threaten the architectural integrity and heritage value of Mount Stephen Club,
but will rather help highlight its spirit and ensure its survival for future generations.
The preservation and expansion of Mount Stephen will generate new urban,
architectural and artistic experiences for the city, the Golden Square
Mile district and the touristic industry.
All this will be performed without compromising the exterior composition of one
of the most outstanding historic mansions in Montreal.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION
i) context and urban design components
ii) integration of sustainable design
Canada’s Golden Square Mile District
The Golden Square Mile is located between Des Pins
Avenue and Rene-Levesque Boulevard, enclosed
between Guy Street and Parc Avenue. This territory
totalizes approximately 1 mile square, hence the
name of this old and chic district. At the beginning
of the20th century, the Golden Square Mile District
gatheredthe largest fortunes of Canada. Wealthy
merchants, industrialists, notaries and politicians all
chose to build their Victorian-style mansions on this
green area.The Mount Stephen Club remains one of
the last testimonials of this 19th century bucolic decor,
once characterized by rows of manicured trees and
pavilion-type mansions. Today, Drummond Street
is located at the heart of downtown Montreal, in an
urban context completely transformed and following
modern paradigms such as car ubiquity
and vertical density (towers).
The Mount Stephen Club and Hotel Complex is to
become a model hotel, in regards with sustainability
principles and optimized ecological footprint;
demanding hotel guests expect no less from
a world-class hospitality destination. The complex is
to seek several certifications, including a LEED Silver
certification and a BOMA Best certification. The main
strategies put forth to reduce the ecological
footprint include the following:
Urban Design Approach
The design approach advocated for the new hotel
consists in highlighting the Mount Stephen Club by
integrating the new volume in the back portion of the
site in order to clear up the perimeter of the existing
building. Considering the vacant land on the site,
the unstructured context and the variable heights
of the sector, this strategy will establish a new
framework that will consolidate the site and its urban
context. The volume of the new hotel will serve
as the main backdrop for the heritage building in the
foreground. The hotel will be build on the rear side
of the site, on 100% of its width and at a 6-meter
distance from the Mount Stephen Club. At the
ground level, a continuous plinth is planned to house
all functions into one single level. This efficient layout
will integrate Mount Stephen prestigious spaces
into a coherent design, which will also serve the daily
activities of the hotel and reception rooms. This way,
the low and discrete volumes of the complex do not
belittle the monumental trait and proportions of the
existing building. A symmetry that takes into account
the urban context as well as neo-classical principles
is obtained via new additions on the north and
south sides. Furthermore, the relationship between
the main body of the building and its south, west
and north wings is restored via a central volume
and adjacent projections.
-the rain water collectors for sanitary utilities
and landscape irrigation
- the reuse and revitalization of an existing heritage
building in downtown Montreal, a sector
well-served by public transit
-the entailment of urban densification by, among
others, an underground parking lot
-the compact overall building shape which reduces
heating and cooling loads
- the green roofs on and around
the Mount Stephen building
- the prefabricated concrete panels for the envelope
using recycled glass as an aggregate
- the optimization of daylighting in public spaces and
common areas as well as on the penthouse level,
achieved through generous use of glazing,
lightwells and skylights
-the use of loops in the concrete slabs of the floors
instead of conventional ducting for heating and cooling
- the wall paneling in the commons spaces,
lobbies and hotel corridors made of reengineered
reclaimed wood
iii) innovation in addressing program
and the client’s requirements
The design approach seeks to highlight Mount Stephen
by creating a simple but contrasting background.
The goal is to set the stage for the historic
building and to visually manage the rear of the site.
Elevations aim formal simplicity as well as the creation
of an abstract pattern that will not compete with
the neoclassical ornaments of the building.
The geographical concept was inspired by textures
and patterns that characterize Mount Stephen’s
tapestries, lace work and carpets. The intention was
to create a precious, iconic and luminous object.
Similarly, the side and rear facades present a
simplified version of the diamond motif in order to
present an intriguing and elegant building.
As for the interior of the hotel, the simple shape
of the hotel provides an efficient and repetitive floor
layout with single-rooms facing north-east.
The foreseeable monotony of this basic layout is
ingeniously nullified by a great diversity of room
layouts and typologies introduced within the repetitive
framework. This innovative mix reintroduces variety
in the new hotel despite site constraints and irregular
building shape. The mix appeals to the diverse
guests of this upscale hotel by developing specific
layouts targeted to certain needs and demographics.
Hence, the rooms feature different levels of intimacy,
visual impact and sizes, while mixing and matching
the same basic interior design components.
iv) technical considerations through building
materials and systems
The particular technical challenges of this project
include issues of accessibility, circulation and egress.
The existing site is landlocked on three sides and
is only accessible through Drummond Street.
Also, the existing Mount Stephen building occupies
a significant portion of this “waterfront”. An ingenious
and simple layout was developed to provide easy
access to all functions and spaces: it was decided
early on that the main entrance of the complex
would remain the Mount Stephen front door and that
the circulation would run north-south around the
heritage building, linking all the main components
of the complex. As for vehicular access, the entrance
was kept on the northern extremity of Drummond
Street but refitted with a ramp leading to the lower
levels. Extensive underpinning of the existing building
will be required to house the underground parking
structure and back-of-house functions. To comply
with life safety and code requirements, all the fire
exits will also be directed towards Drummond Street,
thus avoiding exiting through neighboring sites and
damaging the integrity of the main facade.
As for materials palette, the main feature will
be the precast concrete panels used for the outside
walls. For the facade located at the back of Mount
Stephen Club, a custom concrete finish featuring
recycled glass is to serve as a fitting contemporary
counterpoint to the gray limestone of the Mount
Stephen Club. On the three demising walls,
a series of reflective LED fixtures, normally used in
landscaping and powered by photovoltaic cells, will
be inlaid in the panels along the diamond grid pattern
thus transforming a “dumb and blind” demising
wall into a signature feature of the complex.
1
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1 LORD MOUNT STEPHEN HOUSE
2 MAIN SALON
3 MAIN HALL
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GOLDEN MILE AREA
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RESPONSE TO URBAN CONTEXT AND HERITAGE CONSIDERATIONS
EXTERIOR ENVELOPE CONCEPT
1 REMOVAL OF OUTBUILDINGS AND EXTENSIONS
2 MAXIMUM VERTICAL DENSITY
3 SIGHTLINE REQUIREMENTS FOR HERITAGE BUILDING
4 SET BLACK FROM HERITAGE BUILDING
3
1 ORIGINAL VICTORIAN WALLPAPER FROM MOUNT STEPHEN
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2
2 ABSTRACTION OF VICTORIAN MOTIF
1
3 RESULTING ABSTRACT GEOMETRIC PATTERN
BUILDING PLANNED ZONING
ROOM TYPOLOGIES
INITIAL VOLUME
ROOMS
GYM / SPA
LOBBY AND LOUNGES
CAFÉ / BAR
BANQUET HALLS
MEETING ROOMS
UNDERGROUND
PARKING LOT
VERTICAL CIRCULATION
AND EXITS
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SEQUENTIAL VIEWS
1 EAST SIDE VIEW
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2 FRONT VIEW
3 NORTH SIDE VIEW
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MATERIALITY
1
1
CERAMIC FRIT GLASS
2
2
3
STAINLESS STEEL
3
4
5
CONCRET PANELS WITH
SANDBLAST FINISHED
4
HOTEL
CONCRET PANEL WITH
POLISHED FINISHED
5
GYM / SPA
1 STREET DRUMMOND ELEVATION
CLEAR GLASS
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LOBBY / CIRCULATION
2 SCHEMATIC LATERAL SECTION
PARKING
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2
MAIN FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
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9
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19
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1 MAIN ENTRANCE
13 GYM
2 SECONDARY ENTRANCE
14 SPA
ACCESS TO
UNDERGROUND PARKING
3
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8
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15
4 RECEPTION
16 SAUNA
16
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5 BISTRO / BAR
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6 LOUNGE
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15 MASSAGE
17 JACUZZI CABIN
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18 MAINTENANCE / LAUNDRY
24
7 COATCHECK ROOM
19 TELECOM
6
8 BANQUET HALLS
20 STORAGE
27
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9 SERVICES
11
27
25
21 MECHANICAL ROOM
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10 MAIN STAIRWAY
23
22 PRIVATE OUTDOOR TERRACE
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5
11 DINING ROOM
23 GARDEN / GREEN ROOF
10
12 MEETING ROOMS
24 LINK TO MOUNT STEPHEN
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12
25
12
25
25 MEETING ROOMS
26 MAIN STAIRWAY
27 OFFICES
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2,5
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10
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SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
LOFT //
PLAYFUL
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
ROMANTIC //
SENSUAL
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
JETSET //
EDGY
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
JETSET //
EDGY
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
ROMANTIC //
SENSUAL
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
LOFT //
PLAYFUL
THE
LOFT //
PLAYFUL
THE
JETSET //
EDGY
THE
ROMANTIC //
SENSUAL
THE
ENTREPRENEUR //
NETWORKED
THE
EXECUTIVE //
AVANTGARDE
THE
EXECUTIVE //
AVANTGARDE
THE
TRANSIENT //
NOMAD
THE
EXECUTIVE //
ENTOURAGE
THE
TRANSIENT //
NOMAD
THE
ROMANTIC //
SENSUAL
THE
LEVELS 3 TO 5
LEVEL 9
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
SKYLOFT //
ROCKSTAR
THE
LEVEL 10
LEVEL 11
THE
PENTHOUSE // LEGEND
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INTERIOR VIEWS
1 ROOM VIEW
1
2
2 LOBBY VIEW
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EXTERIOR VIEWS
1 BACK WALL VIEW
1
2
2 FRONT FACADE VIEW
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© All rights reserved Lemay 2012
All ideas, concepts, urban and architectural situations presented in this document
are the exclusive intellectual property of Lemay.
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