Montreal, June 4, 2018 – Following a highly competitive architectural competition, Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal has chosen the team of architectural firms Atelier TAG and Architecture49, engineering firms SDK and Stantec, GSM Project responsible for scenography and visitor experience, and lighting company CS Design, for the final phase of the Oratory’s development project. The concept and vision proposed by the team convinced the jury, who particularly appreciated the ingenuity of the project, whose ethereal development of the premises was done in all simplicity and respecting the existing infrastructures.

The concept proposed by the team presents the Oratory as a journey, both physical and spiritual, that invites the visitor to travel between earth and sky, from the Queen-Mary Road to the inner-dome, the culminating point of this intimate and introspective experience.

The concept is also distinctive by its poetic and pragmatic architectural design, which, through a subtle drape, reveals the richness of the different construction periods, orientates and unifies the visitor’s experience.

The choice of this metal mesh, echoing the ironwork that already inhabits the place, brings many structural and functional benefits. In addition to its light weight, reflective surface, ease of maintenance, durability and fire resistance, the metallic veil allows for the installation of technical equipment, lighting and scenography in the substructure which is already designed for this purpose. Its openwork surface also reduces the impression of vertigo associated with walking up while revealing the spectacular space between the domes.

The visit of the Oratory is thus conceived as a visiting route whose drape constitutes the thread of Ariadne and evolves according to the sensitivity of each one. It also symbolizes the religious experience of the Oratory, an iconic place marked by the ascent of the forecourt’s steps as a journey of discovery of oneself and the world.

Hence the winning concept concretizes the initial vision of the first builders of the basilica by allowing the public to discover the interior of its gigantic dome and by creating an observatory at its summit, the highest point in Montreal, offering a 360-degree view of the city and the region.

This project, which will be delivered in 2020, represents an investment of $13.5 million and is the final phase of the major Oratory development project estimated at a total of nearly $80 million for the four phases.

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To schedule an interview or obtain high-resolution images of the project, please contact :

Bertrand Legret
Massy Forget Langlois Public Relations
blegret@mflrp.ca / 514 842-2455, ext 15

 

Équipe lauréat du concours d’architecture :

• Architecture :
  • Atelier TAG
  • Architecture49
• Ingénierie (structure) : SDK
• Ingénierie (mécanique-électricité) : Stantec
• Scénographie : GSM Project
• Éclairage : CS DesignCS Design