Competition - 1600 Maisonneuve Est
location: Montréal, Canada
client: Omnia
In collaboration with Simard Architecture
The Challenge
The 1600 Maisonneuve Street block is a highly symbolic site in downtown East Montreal, bearing witness to several decades of television production, followed by a long period of vacancy. This interruption has led to the gradual loss of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.
Located at the junction between a residential fabric to the north and more commercial and institutional areas to the south, the block currently faces several vulnerabilities: lack of greenery, high heat accumulation, low urban permeability, and limited pedestrian connectivity.
The challenge is to rethink this space in a way that preserves its memory, enhances its sustainability, and creates a new, vibrant, green central hub integrated into the neighborhood.
The Response
The project proposes a transformative redevelopment that combines the preservation of the site’s memory with a sustainable reconfiguration of the block. The conservation and revitalization of the landmark buildings - the TVA Tower, Théâtre Arcade, and 1551 Sainte-Catherine - anchor the project in its heritage while giving it a new residential purpose.
A north-south green corridor, the project’s signature gesture, runs through the block, providing a striking contrast to the surrounding rectilinear urban fabric. It enhances urban permeability, connectivity, biodiversity, and climate comfort, while incorporating a commemorative pathway dedicated to Francophone television culture.
The project includes six buildings: 1600 Maisonneuve (preservation and addition of greenhouses and urban agriculture on the roof), Champlain (residential, 11 stories), Ste-Catherine/Champlain (affordable housing, 9 stories), 1551 Ste-Catherine (preservation and conversion into residential), Théâtre Arcade (heritage enhancement), and Alexandre-de-Sève (residential, 10 stories).
Designed according to a sustainable strategy, the project integrates: the reduction of urban heat islands, greening, water management, biodiversity enhancement, carbon footprint minimization, promotion of food and energy autonomy, thermal optimization, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of achieving environmental performance certification.
Through this integrated approach, combining heritage preservation, greening, and urban resilience, the project delivers an inclusive, sustainable, and meaningful transformation for East Downtown Montreal.