| 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 | Lune Rouge |
| Owner | Guy Laliberté |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 270,000 sq ft (25,000 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Ray Affleck |
| Architecture firm | Arcop |
| References | |
| Patrimoine culturel du Québec | |
| Official name | La Maison-Alcan |
| Type | Classified heritage immovable |
| Designated | 2017-02-23 |
Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is a building complex located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal, Canada. The complex was used to house the world headquarters for Alcan, now part of Rio Tinto Alcan, until 2015. 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.
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. 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. In contrast to the controversial demolition of the nearby Van Horne Mansion, Maison Alcan preserved part of the architectural heritage of the Golden Square Mile.
Architects
Maison Alcan was designed by the Montreal-based architectural firm of Arcop (Architects in co-partnership), with Ray Affleck as lead architect. Peter Rose collaborated with Peter Lanken on the interior planning and design.
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.
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. In June 2016, Alcan sold the complex to Nacla General Partner Inc. for $48 million.
After plans to turn the location into condos and build a 30-story office building fell through, Maison Alcan was classified as a heritage immovable by the Ministry of Culture and Communications on 23 February 2017.
References
- ^ Lampert, Alison (May 7, 2011). "Maison Alcan in Montreal is for sale, but why move?". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- "Maison Alcan". Lonely Planet. 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012.
- Dutton, Nancy (2008). "Maison Alcan". A Guidebook to Contemporary Architecture in Montreal. Douglas & Mcintyre. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-1553653462.
- "Maison Alcan". Héritage Montréal. October 7, 2015. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ Scott, Marian (September 16, 2015). "Executive committee gives green light to controversial Maison Alcan project". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- 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.
- Ouellet, Line (Fall 1985). "Une architecture des sens" (Interview with Ray Affleck). Continuité (in French) (29). Conseil des monuments et sites du Quebec: 12–13. ISSN 1923-2543.
- Dunton, Nancy H.; Malkin, Helen (2008). A Guidebook to Contemporary Architecture in Montreal. Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 978-1-55365-346-2.
- Wagg, Susan. "Rose, Peter Douglas". The Canadian Encyclopedia. The Historica Dominion Institute.
- ^ "Alcan headquarters as condos?". Montreal Gazette. February 9, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- Marotte, Bertrand (11 July 2013). "Rio Tinto Alcan moving Montreal headquarters". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- Marchand, Laura (July 6, 2016). "Maison Alcan sold for $48 million to company with ties to Laliberté". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- "La Maison-Alcan". Ministère de la Culture et des Communications.
External links
Media related to Maison Alcan at Wikimedia Commons- Arcop Associates Maison Alcan project records, Canadian Centre for Architecture
45°30′02″N 73°34′38″W / 45.5006°N 73.5772°W / 45.5006; -73.5772
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