Montreal Casino Entertainment Complex°
location: Montreal, Canada
client: Loto-Québec
In collaboration with the ARCOP group
°Co-designed/cirected by MLauzon Senior Partner NOMADE
The Challenge
Located in the Sud-Ouest borough, at the intersection of the Lachine Canal and Peel Basin, the project had to bring together several very different programs into a coherent whole: the Casino de Montréal, a 31,500 m² shopping mall, a 1,400-seat performance hall, and a 250-room hotel. The challenge was to reconcile the distinct expression of each function while asserting a unified identity for the entire site.
The Response
The architectural concept creates a tension between the individual expression of each function and the unifying identity of the ensemble. Formally, the design evokes the sinuous curves of an imaginary topography, deliberately blurring the boundary between building and landscape.
The façade, composed of colored horizontal bands and windows, draws inspiration from the casino and evokes stacks of playing cards and games of chance. Fluid and shimmering, this metallic envelope changes appearance with the ambient light, like a jewel.
The materials reference the site's industrial and port heritage through a playful use of industrial materials such as zinc, the grand scale of spaces, and the structural feats of the framework, including spectacular cantilevers over water features and basins.
Expertise(s)
DESIGN & INNOVATION, PROJECT INCUBATOR
Market(s)