Montréal, Québec, Canada
Provencher_Roy are about to wrap up the construction of the new downtown hub for HEC Montréal, a center for entrepreneurship and research that will forge strong ties between the school and the Montréal business community.
Located at the intersection of the Quartier des Affaires, Quartier des Spectacles, and the Quartier International, the building will be a center of exchange that spurs innovation through collaborative programs for academics and business leaders.
The project marks a move back to the downtown area where HEC Montréal began in 1907—and, where it can engage the city’s economic players. It will also add much-needed capacity to the fast-growing school, whose student base has grown 64% in recent years. The facility will house spaces for professional development courses, collaborative research into emerging areas like AI, and conferences, increasing capacity for the school while supporting partnerships with leading businesses in Montréal.
Conceived as a crossroads, the 24,000-square-meter facility is organized around two circulation axes that traverse the site and converge on a central skylit atrium that rises five floors. The design arises from the unique geographic and urban qualities of Montréal, embracing the characteristics of this city built on a mountain to create a building eminently of its place.
Pedestrian connections through the building navigate an elevation change of 10 meters across the site, linking the urban fabric to the green spaces of the site from east to west, and from north to south. Open and accessible from all sides, the building functions more like a neighborhood in itself than a standalone structure. It forms a lynchpin in the historic urban fabric, interfacing with the surrounding business community to welcome students from around the world to the local business culture.
“Through the bridges, it intends to build with the community, this new hub of exchange and innovation will prove to be an important asset for our largest city,” said Chantal Rouleau, Minister for Transport and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region.
“We started in the downtown core, and we are thrilled to return to our roots,” says Federico Pasin, Director of HEC Montréal. “We wanted to be closer to our business community,” explains Pasin. “Our clientele includes young students, fresh out of CEGEP, as well as professionals who work during the day and study for their certificate, DESS, or MBA at night. Establishing ourselves downtown allows us to better serve the latter.”
Provencher_Roy developed the final design in collaboration with community members and stakeholders to ensure it paid due respect to the site’s heritage and contributed to the surrounding urban fabric. A series of consultations and co-design charrettes were held with public authorities, residents, heritage experts, and the business community, inviting these voices to contribute to the design.
“The architects favoured a co-construction process. They organized workshops with the neighbourhood, businesspeople, and students,” says Federico Pasin, Director of HEC Montréal. “Together, they imagined what the ideal campus would look like. We wanted a living space, something spectacular. And we are extremely proud of the result.”
Project: Downtown Hub for HEC Montréal
Architects: Provencher_Roy
Clients: HEC Montréal
Photographers: Provencher_Roy
