Into the Mount-ain: Mont-Royal Residence

Completed in 1964, the Mont-Royal residence sits right at the top of Mount-Royal — one of Montreal’s upper class borrows. The home was originally designed by architect Pierre Cantin and was renovated by MU Architecture to give it new elegance.

The property, which was completely stripped down to make room for lighter, and larger spaces, is now embellished with woodwork panels, with rich hues that contrast with the light of the second floor and its atrium mezzanine.

Redesigned for a young family, this vast residence of nearly 10,000 sq. ft. now offers openly connected rooms and optimized spatial fluidity. The atrium reveals a double staircase leading to the mezzanine, which overlooks a bar area with a fireplace adjoining the living room. The kitchen and dining room are fully glazed and lead to a large landscaped courtyard with a swimming pool.

Adjacent to the large linear kitchen, an extension of the cabinetry conceals storage and access to the garage in the basement. A comfortable dinette area and its access to a private terrace face the street above the garage.

Upstairs, the mezzanine lounge room hosts a fireplace, a hidden television, and a huge double-story glass wall that offers a view of Montreal. A large playroom, three children’s bedrooms, and two bathrooms complete this level. The lower floor has, among other things, two guest bedrooms, a workout area, a workshop, and a double garage.

As you enter the atrium, art pieces and large walnut woodwork paneling peacefully bring a sense of human scale to the rather intimidating space. The upper walls of this large double-height volume extend into white surfaces and accentuate the impression of space.

Specific attention to detail was necessary in the positioning of the numerous wood panels that frame the stairs in order to give a gallery aspect to space. From the split-level landing of the stairs, a large solid walnut door-wall conceals the master apartments which includes a bedroom, a walk-in closet, and a fully-glazed master bathroom overlooking the courtyard.

Before the renovation, the residence had a state-of-the-art central ventilation system and even had a radiant exterior entrance staircase. The structure also presented its share of complexity with inverted beams and steel entanglements. The vast double-height atrium also supports a complex triangulated-shaped roof made entirely of mill floors.

At the time the architect had done an extraordinary job of integrating all the mechanical components in a very subtle way. By opening up widely to create free plans and larger living spaces, hiding this vast ventilation system adapted to the new standards was a colossal task. Structural contortions also had to be made to modify the mezzanine and open up the living areas.

With its noble materials, its wooden slatted partitions, its latticed ceilings, and its large wood paneling, the contemporary style of the residence evoke the style of some of the great international hotels.

The design was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Heritage and the City of Montreal. This major and very atypical renovation brought together around twenty professional consultants, engineers, and construction specialists under the direction of MU Architecture, which redesigned all of the 26 rooms of this iconic Montreal residence.

Data sheet
Project: Mont-Royal Residence
Location: Montréal, Québec
Architects / designers: MU Architecture
Team: Charles Côté, Jean-Sébastien Herr, Alexandre Arcens, Magda Telenga, Lou Emier, Catherine Auger
Contractor: Newsam
Structural engineer:  WSP
Mechanical engineer: Antoine Assaf, WSP
Interior decorator: Jean-François Ménard, Rachel Gilmore
Completion date: Janvier 2020
Photos: Stéphane Groleau Photographe
Area: 9,400 sq. ft.