Canadian firm Provencher_Roy has produced a stunning addition to the Montreal skyline with Îlot Balmoral, a 13-story, mixed-use office building slotted in the city’s downtown.

Commissioned by Société d’Habitation de Montréal (SHDM), the structure is the final major development in Montreal’s cultural district Quartier des Spectacles. It sits adjacent to Place des Festivals and is the new home of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and UQAC’s École des arts numériques, de l'animation et du design (NAD School).

“We proposed four visions of what an office building specifically designed for a cultural economy could look like, and Îlot Balmoral was selected to echo the very vibrant, dynamic nature of the district,” explains architect Claude Provencher, founding partner at Provencher_Roy. “The Quartier des Spectacles is a cultural center of activity that is now almost complete in its revitalization and transformation of the urban fabric surrounding Place des Arts.”

The distinct building is wrapped in exterior glass that was specifically selected for its frit pattern and translucent panels. The smooth exterior allows the façade to serve as a potential surface for projections. Its subtle and dynamic tonality provides a sense of mass and substance to the structure, and the glass façade allows sizable amounts of light to penetrate the interior. The frit pattern also serves to control thermal heat gain inside the building, meeting the firm’s LEED Gold sustainability objectives. 

Inside, the building hosts a large internal atrium that’s carved diagonally through the center of the space to create two volumes. The atrium ascends to the building’s glass ceiling amidst a material palette of white and gray walls and exposed concrete floors. 

The firm oriented the cut based on the site’s previously existing pedestrian flow, moving diagonally between the Place des Arts Metro station and the Place des Festivals. Delineating the cut is Îlot Balmoral’s distinguishing feature, a bright red external fold that contrasts the clean glass exterior. The color echoes the branding of the Quartier des Spectacles and sets the building apart from the more traditional office towers in the area.

Above the lobby, the atrium is framed by brightly-lit offices. Pedestrian bridges connect the two separated volumes. The northeastern volume floats one story higher than the southwestern volume, with the latter hosting a rooftop greenspace that provides views of the city and an area for outdoor events.

Provencher_Roy designed four floors of the building to accommodate core tenant NFB. Their space includes editing rooms, space for state-of-the-art equipment, and a bright, white staircase that leads to their offices.

“It was a particularly interesting experience, driven by our client’s eagerness to achieve something spectacular,” Claude Provencher adds. “Beyond the functionality of the individual spaces of the built environment, we believe that Îlot Balmoral captures and incorporates the vibrancy of the district.”