National Archives – Montreal

“I particularly remember revisiting the National Archives building on Viger Street in Montreal in October 2022 and experiencing an intense moment of surprise and serenity. It is a heritage building that was completely refurbished by architect Dan Hanganu in the late 1990s. The exterior façade on Viger Street has been carefully preserved and there is no indication of what is going on (magically) inside. On the face of it, no one really wants to enter an archive.

Two types of experiences struck me although I thought I already knew this place. On the one hand, the very gradual ascent to the center of the archive center itself, and on the other hand, the discovery of the atrium and the archive consultation room. The place is now a particularly timeless mix of classical and modern architecture. The facade is quite classical, a bit pompous from my point of view a bit banal. It is a beautiful heritage building very constrained by the aesthetics of the Beaux-Arts as found in all countries that followed the aesthetics of this great Parisian school in the 19th century. It’s not the most interesting thing about it though, although heritage advocates will rightly see it as a jewel to be preserved.

On the other hand, the complete refurbishment of the interior and the very subtle integration of modern modenature into the roughness of the preserved stone gives rise to an initial shock. The experience of the entrance works in several levels that gradually rise to the atrium in the center of the building. The experience is very jerky through the stairs. The experience of this 25-year-old place is unfortunately not very accessible and the priority given to the stairs should be reconsidered today so that this beautiful experience is truly inclusive. The fact remains that this succession of landings is accompanied by a sort of decompression of the height under the ceiling to really hollow out the interior space. Once past the two entrance locks, we brush against the stone and the reading room begins to appear with its cast iron and steel colonnades. One doesn’t know if one is in a Jules Vernes novel or in a very modern office building. A spiral staircase brings the eye up to the ceiling of the atrium located more than 3 floors above the ground floor. It is not really a library but it is a place of memory and a memorable place.” (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.32).

Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/UixaFSa2Kp7ynqkb6