It is with great pride that the teams involved in the design and construction of the Îlot Balmoral (in Montreal’s Place des Festivals) reacted upon learning that the project is among the finalists in the Best Mixed-Use Development category of the prestigious international competition organized by MIPIM (Marché international des professionnels de l'immobilier), the world’s premier real estate market event. The competition evaluates projects on architectural signature, innovation, environmental characteristics and integration into their surroundings.

The Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM), owner and developer for the project, entrusted architecture firm Provencher_Roy with the mandate to design an iconic cultural building to complete the Place des Festivals. Thanks to its tenants the National Film Board of Canada and the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi’s École des arts numériques, de l’animation et du design (UQAC NAD), the Îlot Balmoral has become the showcase for cinema and digital arts in the Quartier des spectacles.

Nancy Shoiry, executive director of the SHDM: “From the start, the SHDM wanted a remarkable, ambitious project that embodies Montreal’s creative spirit and integrates the strictest standards in ecological responsibility. Our partners at Provencher_Roy met the challenge with talent, and we are proud that Îlot Balmoral distinguishes itself in international competitions. I would add that, as a paramunicipal entity, we are also proud to have achieved this exceptional building and to have it be a part of our wide real estate portfolio.”

Claude Provencher, senior partner and co-founder of Provencher_Roy: “To have our work recognized by observers who are exposed to the best projects the world has to offer is always a source of tremendous pride. With the SHDM’s vision and ambition on our side, we developed an architectural concept for Îlot Balmoral that transforms the urban landscape while being ecologically responsible, appealing to the public and rewarding for the organizations it hosts. Our thoughts at this time also turn to our late colleague Eugenio Carelli, who made a large contribution, with the team, to the project’s success and who would have been proud of this recognition.”

With its exceptional visual appeal, the Îlot Balmoral contributes to the glittering character of the Place des Festivals, a place of gathering and culture. An immense oblique “fault line,” in a bright red hue, divides the building  into two distinct forms, revealing a full-height atrium that allows natural light in to generously illuminate the suspended walkways connecting the two volumes. The Îlot's lobby was designed with pedestrians in mind and will make it possible for them to easily cross this public space, whose lower floors are glazed on three sides.

The Îlot Balmoral is a candidate for LEED-NC Gold certification. It was designed and built according to the principles of sustainable development, favouring energy efficiency and air quality and featuring a green roof and installations conducive to the use of active modes of transportation and clean forms of energy.

The Îlot Balmoral distinguished itself in a highly competitive field of 228 quality projects from 45 countries. The winners of the 2020 edition of this prestigious real estate competition will be announced during the annual meeting of the Marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier (MIPIM), to be held March 10 through 13, 2020 in Cannes, France. For a complete list of finalists in all categories, click here.

From the excavation phase to the moving in of the tenants, view a video of the impressive evolution over the years of the work site located at the northwest corner of the Place des Festivals.