1000 de la Gauchetière & Other Quebec Curios
De La Gahchetière
1992 was a big year for Montreal, being the city’s 350th anniversary. Both the city and private companies took the opportunity to invest in Montreal, and in honour of the city’s birthday celebration, three new rose into the Montreal skyline, one of them being our current stop, 1000 de la Gauchetière. Located, not surprisingly, on de la Gauchetière ouest, this building tops out all of the other Montreal buildings at a massive 232 metres, the maximum height of a building allowed on the Island, though still shorter than Paris’ Eiffel Tower.
The 51-storey building was built by two architectural firms, Lemay & Associates and Dimakopoulos & Associates. Following the postmodern style of architecture, the building is built through a mixture of old and new styles, looking towards the past for information and ornament but not relying on it as an integral structure. 1000 de la Gauchetière nods to Marie-Reine-de-Monde Cathedral in the copper elements that top the building’s towers. The populism attributed to the postmodernist architectural movement is immortalised in 1000’s public skating rink located in the atrium of the building. A huge triangular glass roof tops off the building.
Despite the building’s excellent materials and its attempts at bridging old and new architecture, 1000 de la Gauchetière was crowned as the worst-looking building of the year, garnering a Prix citron to its name from the interest group Sauvons Montréal. However, all is not lost: it has also won Go Green Award by BOMA Québec.
1000 de la Gauchetière features a Royal Bank of Canada branch; law firms Borden, Osler, Miller Thomson, and McCarthy Tétrault; and even has an RTL terminus nearby.
Visit the building by heading towards none other than 1000 de la Gauchetière ouest.
