National Urban Design Awards - 2024 Recipient

The new Maisonneuve Library forms an urban and architectural ensemble centered around the Cité de Maisonneuve’s former City Hall, built in 1912 by architect Joseph-Cajetan Dufort. The municipal building was occupied by various institutions until it became part of the public library network in 1981, and in 2017, a multidisciplinary design competition was launched in order to upgrade and expand the facility. The winning team was a consortium of Montreal firms led by EVOQ Architecture and Dan Hanganu Architects (now part of EVOQ) with the collaboration of urban design and landscape firm civiliti.   

One of the most important decisions taken by the architectural team was to rehabilitate the historic building and bring it back to its original splendour. The project also includes the addition of two contemporary wings carefully aligned with the heritage building, and the creation of a distinctive landscape that erases the boundary between the public realm and the institution’s private grounds. Thyme ‘carpets’, granite furniture, a sunken garden, and a subtle pattern of grey pavers create a dignified setting for the old City Hall, as well as harmonizing with the library’s resolutely contemporary wings. The project extends to include the urban spaces adjacent to the library and the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve, as well as Place Ernest-Gendreau at the back of the library.  

The project’s architectural, urban, and landscape design mark this cultural hub as an important and accessible public space on Ontario Street.  

CLIENT City of Montreal, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Borough DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS Gilles Prud'homme, Peter Soland, Sylvie Peguiron, Marianne Leroux, Nathan Godlovitch, Anne-Catherine Richard, Lynda Labrecque, Alexis Charbonneau, Georges Drolet, Fannie Duguay-Lefebvre, David Murray, Etienne Ostiguy, Martine Vincent, Jean-François Bédard BUILDING ENVELOPE ULYS Collectif STRUCTURE NCK CIVIL Génipur MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL Pageau Morel BUILDING ENVELOPE/QUALITY CONTROL UL CLEB ELEVATOR EXIM DOOR HARDWARE/BUILDING COMMISSIONING Cima+ FURNITURE, WAYFINDING, MULTIMEDIA GSM Project ERGONOMICS Vincent Ergonomie LIGHTING LightFactor SUSTAINABILITY WSP ACOUSTICS Octav HISTORIC DOORS, METAL M&B Métalliers MOSAIC Artès Métiers d’art ORNAMENTAL PLASTERS Plâtres Artefact MASONRY Maçonnerie Rainville et Frères RESTORER, MASONRY Trevor Gillingwater STONE CUTTERS Alexandre, Tailleurs de pierres + sculpteurs STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS Studio du verre ARTIST, PUBLIC ART WORK Clément de Gaulejac AREA 4,138 m2 COMPLETION December 2023