Galaxie

Irregular and atypical, the site occupies the tip formed by the intersection of Saint-Denis and Gilford streets, previously the route of the Tanneries Road and later the Carrières Road. The area between Gilford Street and Saint-Joseph Boulevard is characterized by mixed-use buildings, the absence of setbacks, clay brick facades, asymmetry in the design of openings, and distinctive treatment of the commercial storefronts addressing the street corner.

Since 1993, a Streamline Art Deco Diner stood on the site but had ceased to be the destination it once was. The owner prioritized relocating the building over demolishing it. The project name, "Galaxy," refers to the original American Diner.

This new site development presents an opportunity to embrace contemporary urban planning trends, contribute to a built environment consistent with historical development, and emphasize the unique character of this atypical lot.

As a true gateway to the innovative urban planning project of pedestrianizing and greening Gilford Street, the new construction will ultimately energize the area while defining its boundaries. Like an urban square, the built belt will establish the site’s structural coherence.

The project adopts a conceptual approach inspired by geology, evident in both the volumetric design and the monolithic, mineral expression of the building envelope. Standing four stories tall, the building aligns with the lot boundaries, creating two inner courtyards. Along Saint-Denis Street, the public nature of the ground-floor spaces is highlighted by wide openings leading to a shared lobby, a professional office, and a corner store. The urban point at the diagonal formed by Gilford Street is marked by a commercial corner entrance, typical of Montreal’s main thoroughfares. Previously diluted by a vacant lot, Gilford Street’s layout will now be enlivened by quintessential Montreal-style residential entrances, enhancing the vibrancy of the space and its landscaped features.

Hollowed out at its center, the project’s narrow volume enables the creation of through-units, all universally accessible via walkways and an elevator. The morphological design of the mineral volume is expressed through angled facades and faceted brick materiality, resembling a fragment of ore—a nod to the quarries that shaped the area’s development. The gray masonry evokes the mineral tones of stone while emphasizing the clay brick material prevalent in the sector. The graphic expression of the brick pattern, referencing mineral ore facets, aligns with the contemporary landscape designs envisioned for Gilford Street.