Maison Alcan

Maison Alcan

Atholstan House, Maison Alcan complex, with Davis Building at rear and Berkeley Hotel building at right
General information
Address 1188 Sherbrooke Street West
Town or city Montreal
Country Canada
Completed 1983
Client Alcan
Owner Rio Tinto
Technical details
Floor area 270,000 sq ft (25,000 m2)[1]
Design and construction
Architect Ray Affleck
Architecture firm Arcop

Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is the world headquarters for Alcan, now part of Rio Tinto Alcan, and is located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal.[2] Completed in 1983, the complex's integration of new construction with restored or renovated buildings marked a turning point in corporate Montreal's approach to development.[3]

Maison Alcan combined restored Golden Square Mile properties—Atholstan House, the Beique, the former Berkeley Hotel, the Holland House, as well as the Salvation Army's Montreal Citadel on Drummond Street—with a new aluminum-clad structure, known as the Davis Building. The Berkeley Hotel serves as the main entrance to the complex and its atrium, on Sherbrooke Street.[1] According to the La Presse newspaper, Maison Alcan marked the first time a major corporation based in Montreal had sought to preserve historic properties as part of a new headquarters. Given the controversial demolition of the nearby Van Horne Mansion, Maison Alcan was a significant step in the battle to preserve the architectural heritage of the Golden Square Mile.[4]

Architects

Maison Alcan was designed by the Montreal-based architectural firm of Arcop (Architects in co-partnership), with Ray Affleck as lead architect.[5] Peter Rose collaborated with Peter Lanken on the interior planning and design.[6]

Sale

In May 2011, it was reported that Rio Tinto Alcan was looking to sell Maison Alcan and move to new headquarters, due to the cost of renovating the building for a smaller workforce—and with the historic status of four of the seven buildings possibly complicating renovations. The complex was listed by real estate brokers Cushman & Wakefield, with a $30 million minimum bid.[1]

In 2015, Alcan moved its HQ from the building and relocated to the Deloitte Tower, which is located between Windsor Station and the Bell Centre.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lampert, Alison (May 7, 2011). "Maison Alcan in Montreal is for sale, but why move?". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Maison Alcan". Lonely Planet. 2012.
  3. ↑ Dutton, Nancy (2008). "Maison Alcan". A Guidebook to Contemporary Architecture in Montreal. Douglas & Mcintyre. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-1553653462.
  4. ↑ Drouin, Martin (2005). Le Combat du Patrimoine à Montréal, 1973-2003 (in French). Presses de l'Université du Québec. pp. 225–226. ISBN 978-2760513563.
  5. ↑ Ouellet, Line (Fall 1985). "Une architecture des sens" (Interview with Ray Affleck). Continuité (in French). Conseil des monuments et sites du Quebec (29): 12–13. ISSN 1923-2543.
  6. ↑ Wagg, Susan. "Rose, Peter Douglas". The Canadian Encyclopedia. The Historica Dominion Institute.
  7. ↑ Marotte, Bertrand (11 July 2013). "Rio Tinto Alcan moving Montreal headquarters". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
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Coordinates: 45°30′02″N 73°34′38″W / 45.5006°N 73.5772°W / 45.5006; -73.5772

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