CTR homePR homeConcordia homeEmail us

We have a design for the new Loyola building

The design for the new science complex on the Loyola Campus has been chosen. The winning architects make up a joint venture of three local firms, comprising Marosi Troy, Jodoin Lamarre Pratte, and Cardinal Hardy and Associates.

The choice was made at a meeting on April 19 of the architectural competition jury, whose membership of people from within and external to the university was dictated by architectural convention and sanctioned by the Quebec Order of Architects. (For a photo of jury members, see page 4.)

"Every building had strong elements on both the aesthetic and technical side, and I believe the future users of the building would have been quite pleased with at least three of these," said Vice-Dean of Arts and Science Robert Roy, who sat on the jury. "Science buildings consume enormous amounts of energy, and many excellent green-building concepts have been included in the proposal, which uses tested technology.

"The firm is very large, and has an excellent record of designing science buildings that have been built on time and within budget. They have developed a particularly efficient and flexible modular bench system, already in use in a recently built facility at McGill." (The reference is to the M.H. Wong Building on Docteur-Penfield Ave.)

Seven designs were entered in the Concordia competition, and the choice was a difficult one. The site was fixed -- the "footprint" for the building runs north-south along West Broadway Ave. and east-west at the back of the campus, along the lane adjacent to Terrebonne St. None of the entries was tall, and all had clean, modern lines and plenty of natural light. Beyond that, however, the differences were considerable.

The factors the jury weighed in their decision included aesthetics; integration with the site and existing buildings; the functionality of the design; its adaptability, especially for research facilities; the circulation of foot traffic and supplies; the durability and maintenance of materials used; the integration of green elements; conformity to the budget; and likelihood that the university's construction schedule will be respected.

When it is finished, the science complex will be the largest building on the Loyola Campus. It is an ambitious project that will take several years and cost about $56 million. It is also the first stage in the transformation of the gracious but too-quiet campus into an active educational centre once again.

The next step is to erect a large billboard on the site, which will signal the start of a 45-day period during which citizens may take their comments to the City of Montreal. The university's senior administration will present a business plan to the Board of Governors in the near future that will indicate financing of the project.

Concordians will be able to see all seven design presentations displayed on large panels in the lobby of the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall (May 1-5) and the atrium of the J.W. McConnell Building (May 8-12). The architects' drawings are on page 5 of this issue. - Barbara Black

 

Architectural design chosen for Loyola building

ADC-Marosi/plan

ADC-Marosi/art

 

The entry by Marosi Troy - Jodoin Lamarre Pratte - Cardinal Hardy and Associates, seen above, was selected by the jury as the winning design.

The chosen design integrates the existing Bryan Building into a new L-shaped structure enclosing a spacious green quadrangle. The height varies from three to five storeys to soften the look of the exterior and blend in with the greenery. Labs are in both north and south blocks, with a glazed exterior; modules with common rooms and offices are brick-clad. The main lab building (north block) will have an open staircase from the basement to the third level for teaching areas opening into an outdoor roof garden overlooking the quadrangle. A sunny atrium runs along the east side of the south block. Circulation patterns were a strong element of this design. In the map (upper left), the red solid lines indicate enclosed, above-ground circulation; the dotted lines indicate likely exterior circulation.

 

Here's a glimpse of the other six entries in the architectural design competition:

ADC-Lemoyne/art

LeMoyne Lapointe Magne Architectes et Urbanistes

ADC-Bobrow/art

Bobrow Architects, in association with Darling and Downey Architects

ADC-Lemay/art

Architectes Lemay et Associés / Busby & Associates Architects

ADC-Big City/art1

Atelier Big City / ARCOP / FGM / L'OUEF / RAM / Associés Libres

ADC-Saia/art

Saia et Barbarese Architectes

ADC-ARchitem/art

Architem - DMA (in consortium)

Architectural design competition jury

ADC jury

The jury took a few moments from their deliberations April 19 to pose for a photo. Standing, left to right, are Bram Freedman (University Legal Counsel, chair, non-voting), Robert Roy (Vice-Dean of Arts and Science), Georges Adamczyk (Director, School of Architecture, Université de Montréal), Kurt Forster (Director, Canadian Centre for Architecture), and AndrŽ Leguerrier (Senior Project Coordinator, Concordia Facilities Planning and Development, secretary, non-voting). Seated are Jonathan Wener (CEO Canderel, Concordia Board of Governors), Nathalie Dion (Project Architect, Concordia Facilities Planning and Development, alternate), Dr. Frederick Lowy (Rector, Concordia University), Martine Lehoux (Director, Concordia Facilities Planning and Development), and Evans St-Gelais (architect).

 


Back to the top   Next article

Copyright 2000 Concordia's Thursday Report.


CTR Archives   About