{"id":214,"date":"2025-12-24T13:10:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T13:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/24\/in-montreal-a-new-pavilion-for-saint-josephs-oratory-glows-behind-gabion-facades\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T13:10:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T13:10:26","slug":"in-montreal-a-new-pavilion-for-saint-josephs-oratory-glows-behind-gabion-facades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/24\/in-montreal-a-new-pavilion-for-saint-josephs-oratory-glows-behind-gabion-facades\/","title":{"rendered":"in montreal, a new pavilion for saint joseph\u2019s oratory glows behind gabion facades"},"content":{"rendered":"

montreal’s landmark basilica sees a modern intervention<\/h2>\n

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A new pavilion opens on Mount Royal, the highest point in Montreal<\/strong><\/a> and home to the landmark basilica Saint Joseph\u2019s Oratory. Designed by architecture practice Lemay, the intervention climbs four stories along the upper slopes of the mountain park. It’s embedded into a wooded landscape and reframes the experience of arrival at one of Quebec\u2019s most visited cultural and religious sites.<\/p>\n

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Saint Joseph\u2019s Oratory stands at the summit as a spiritual destination and viewpoint. Since it was founded in the early twentieth century, it has evolved through a sequence of chapels and gardens with expansive views over the city.<\/p>\n

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Designed as part of a long-term master plan initiated in 2000, Lemay\u2019s pavilion continues the site’s layered history with a contemporary design language and textured gabion wall<\/strong><\/a> facade. It guides visitors through a sequence of spaces that ascend with the ascent of the mountain.<\/p>\n

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images \u00a9 Adrien Williams<\/a><\/p>\n

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a new bell tower over mount royal<\/h2>\n

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In the spirit of Montreal’s nickname as the ‘city of a hundred bell towers,’ the team<\/strong><\/a> at Lemay designs a new bell tower as part of its Saint Joseph\u2019s Oratory<\/strong><\/a> pavilion. Audible throughout Mount Royal, the 62-bell carillon’s resonant tones mark the time and guide visitors as they move through the complex. The tower\u2019s verticality is balanced by the pavilion\u2019s low, elongated stance. Glass surfaces soften the transition between interior and exterior, while wood introduces warmth at points of pause.<\/p>\n

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The pavilion engages directly with the geology of Mount Royal through its construction. Gabion walls filled with stone excavated on site line portions of the lower levels, giving the building a tactile density that resonates with the existing masonry of Saint Joseph\u2019s Oratory. Daylight filters through these assemblies, producing a subdued interior glow that shifts with weather and season.<\/p>\n

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Above, stepped roof terraces follow the natural grade of the terrain. These planted surfaces extend the public realm upward, offering new vantage points toward the basilica dome while easing the building into the slope. The architecture reads as layered rather than monumental, shaped by the contours it occupies.<\/p>\n

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the new pavilion reshapes the arrival experience at Saint Joseph\u2019s Oratory in Montreal<\/p>\n

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expanded programming for saint joseph’s oratory<\/h2>\n

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Lemay integrates sustainable environmental strategies into the pavilion\u2019s structure and landscape surrounding Saint Joseph\u2019s Oratory. Green roofs replace former paved areas, supporting biodiversity and moderating surface temperatures. High-performance building systems support energy efficiency while maintaining stable interior conditions, contributing to the project\u2019s LEED Silver certification.<\/p>\n

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Inside, the new space accommodates a range of public functions that support longer visits. A cafeteria positioned high within the volume opens toward expansive views, encouraging rest without interrupting the broader flow of movement. Gardens and exterior courts adjacent to the building provide quieter spaces for reflection, linked directly to interior circulation.<\/p>\n

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Daylight plays an active role in shaping experience throughout. Skylights and luminous ceiling planes guide circulation and register the passing hours, establishing a subtle rhythm that corresponds with the site\u2019s spiritual dimension.<\/p>\n

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stone excavated on site is reused in gabion walls throughout the building<\/p>\n

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terraced roofs extend the landscape and open new views toward the basilica dome<\/p>\n

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the pavilion follows the natural ascent of Mount Royal and guides visitors upward<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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daylight and the sound of bells guide movement throughout<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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a new bell tower introduces a 62-bell carillon audible across Montreal<\/p>\n

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\"saint-josephs-oratory-mount-royal-pavilion-lemay-montreal-canada-designboom-08a\" <\/p>\n
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Lemay designs the four-story structure as part of a long-term master plan for the site<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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name:<\/strong> Pavilion at Saint Joseph\u2019s Oratory<\/a> | @osjmr<\/a><\/p>\n

architect:\u00a0<\/strong>Lemay<\/a> | @lemayonline<\/a><\/p>\n

location:\u00a0<\/strong>Mount Royal, Montreal, Canada<\/p>\n

landscape architecture:<\/strong> Version Paysage<\/a> | @version.paysage<\/a><\/p>\n

completion:\u00a0<\/strong>2025<\/p>\n

photography:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a9 Adrien Williams<\/a> | @adrianwilliamsnyc<\/a><\/p>\n

mechanical, electrical engineering:<\/strong> BPA
structural engineering:<\/strong> ELEMA experts-conseils
civil engineering:<\/strong> MHA
vertical transportation consultant:<\/strong> KJA
construction manager:<\/strong> Pomerleau
carillon consultant:<\/strong> Patrick Macoska
exterior lighting:<\/strong> Ombrages<\/p>\n

The post in montreal, a new pavilion for saint joseph\u2019s oratory glows behind gabion facades<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

a new pavilion opens on mount royal, the highest point in montreal and home to the basilica saint joseph\u2019s oratory.
\nThe post in montreal, a new pavilion for saint joseph\u2019s oratory glows behind ga<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}