The renovation of Montreal’s Verdun Auditorium revalues the historical architecture of the building by peeling off its metal envelope while modernizing the interior of the complex.
Located on the banks of Montreal’s St. Lawrence River, the Auditorium of Verdun is an example of 1930s Art Deco style Montreal Architecture. Constructed in 1939, the centre has hosted iconic ice hockey players such as Maurice Richard as well as many other political events and rock concerts that have left an indelible mark on the city’s citizens. The Denis-Savard Arena was added to the building in later years.
Rather than destroy the historic landmark, Les Architectes FABG proposed the enhancement and restoration of the auditorium and the demolition and reconstruction of the later added Denis-Savard arena, as well as a complete upgrade and replacement of the Freon refrigeration system, which has an environmentally harmful gas. Achieving LEED Gold certification, environmental strategies include the reduction of water consumption in the operation of the arena, as well as the introduction of a high-performance building envelope.
The public spaces feature a cross-laminated timber roof, selected for its carbon sequestration as much as a simple and robust architectural language for these spaces. Particular care has been taken to restore and maintain the character of the interior spaces of the auditorium. This was accomplished by restoring the original masonry façade and the wooden benches which are complemented by the mixed structure (wood and steel) of the roof.
With an additional 3,181 square meters of halls, public spaces, meetings room, etc., Verdun Auditorium will continue to play an important role in Montreal’s civic culture for years to come.
