Montreal Condo Tower Wins Major Architecture Prize

A lot in downtown Montreal that used to house a rundown gas station now features a structure deemed worthy of a prestigious architecture prize.

DNA Paris Design Awards judges have handed the prize for best architecture in the Big Scale category to Montreal-based Neuf Architects for the firm's work on The Solstice, a 44-floor 330-unit high-rise condo building at 1038 de la Montagne.

The judges praised the building's shared services, wellness area, indoor pool with terrace, as well as the artwork sprinkled throughout the common areas of the building, many by local artist Pascal Girardin.

Hugo Gagnon, the architect who led the Neuf design team, gave special credit for the win to the project's pathway that enables pedestrians to cross from de la Montagne Street one block west toward the metro station. The pedestrian pathway often comes in handy for the 20,000-plus spectators who leave the nearby Bell Centre arena following hockey games and other events.

“We created a road that is both public and private and welcoming and safe. It allows people to go through from Rue des Canadiens to Overdale Avenue,” Gagnon said in an interview. “The developers proved visionary in accepting our proposal to make it pedestrian friendly.”

Gagnon gave credit to Dev Meta, part of the team that developed the tower. Dev Meta, led by Luc Quenneville, took on the challenge as its maiden large-scale endeavor.

“Luc started out working on construction sites and then became an entrepreneur and then became a developer," Gagnon said. "It was his company’s first project of this size, and it was during COVID. It wasn’t easy to get this done under those conditions but they kept true to their vision."

Units at Solstice are 90% sold, and Gagnon said those living there enjoy the views of the river and Mount Royal and appreciate the combination of colours on the facade that rise to a cloudy-white colour near the top. The building also catches eyes with a block structure and its series of pillars and frames at street level, he said.

Construction at the former gas station site required soil remediation that added an extra step to the process as well as dialogue with the owners of neighbouring properties. The building also sold several units to foreign buyers prior to the passage of a federal law forbidding such purchases, forcing Dev Meta’s lawyers to iron out wrinkles with bureaucrats questioning those transactions.

The Solstice tower contains whimsical artwork as well as practical elements, such as five floors of underground parking, with almost every space used on a daily basis.

Gagnon also praised the construction teams and the developers for sticking with the original design throughout the project's timeline.