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Le 2-22 opens in the Quartier Des Spectacles
As the gateway to Montreal’s arts and entertainment district, Le 2-22, designed by Aedificia, a team of architects, designers, engineers and communication specialists, had to make a bold statement; a grand gesture that would anchor the neighbourhood and speak to culture and urbanism in one fell swoop.
The building does that and more, from its eye-catching façade - an innovative twin walled skin the outer glass layer of which is designed to fully retract in the summer revealing a wooden envelope beneath with punched openings that reads like an abstract tapestry - to its large-scaled recessed angular entrance that frees up the sidewalk for dense pedestrian traffic, which the area experiences during festivals. The space created by superimposing the two materials will be used for multimedia installations.
Once inside, the building is designed to promote interaction between the occupants and their environment, incorporating such features as a three-storey lobby, a windowed mezzanine overlooking the ground level, and a sculptural staircase between the third and fourth floors that occupants can choose over elevators.
Opened on 6 February and designed as part of ‘Imagining Building Montréal 2025’ the Le 2-22 dedicates 75% of its space to cultural organisations and houses the French restaurant Le St. Cyr on the ground floor with a future bar with outdoor terrace planned for the fifth floor.
Sharon McHugh
US Correspondent
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