This renovation adds contemporary flourishes to Brutalist architecture.

Compiled by Team IAnD

Photography: David Boyer & Jean Sébastien Senécal; courtesy v2com

Read Time: 2 min 30 secs

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Pegging social dynamics and the process of facilitating interaction as an important part of their design practice, Atelier Zébulon Perron layer the ambience of Le Boulevardier restaurant and Le Flâneur Bar Lounge with a contemporary interpretation of a bygone era.

Constituting the food and beverage outlets of the renovated Germain Hotels’ flagship property, Le Germain Hotel, in downtown Montreal, the challenge was to create symbiotic space on two separate levels - the ground floor bar/lounge and the first-floor restaurant – connected by an alluring staircase.

Using an Expo ’67 retro theme as the locus of the renovation, the design studio reveals some of the building’s original Brutalist architecture. Exposed concrete and other raw materials serve as inspirational canvases for a contrasting purity of forms and lines, applied to a minimalist design focused on space planning, modern materials, and luminosity.

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In order to foster intrigue, the hotel’s centrally located staircase is repositioned closer to the front desk area, inviting patrons to explore beyond the confines of the lobby. Rising through the ceiling and anchored from above, the steel structure and hardwood steps of the new staircase are framed in a transparent wall of steel rods, tactically illuminated to make it as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional.

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Le Flâneur Bar Lounge nurtures a welcoming aura with its relaxed retro feel, where both local patrons and hotel guests can mingle, work, or simply enjoy a drink.   Contrasts of raw concrete and noble materials create a balanced warmth; whilst rich, dark woods and marble adorn the counters and floors. Strategically placed dividers provide a contemporary framework for banquettes and chrome cube furnishings that infuse a retro feel into the comfortable setting.

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Le Boulevardier, the hotel’s new first-floor restaurant bridges a balanced décor, ascending into a space illuminated by an abundance of natural light. Exposed concrete beams rise above the restaurant’s contemporary décor, which mirrors Le Flâneur’s abundant use of dark woods and marble countertops. From the warmth of a retro ambiance, where time seemingly stands still, patrons are mesmerized by a window to the world at their feet, courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows providing magnificent views overlooking the horizons of President Kennedy Avenue and the downtown streets below. The floor-to-ceiling windows also serve as an inward portal to the restaurant for curious passers-by, whilst a strategic gallery of mirrors adorning the ceiling and side walls of the restaurant’s interior further provides the illusion of expanding the space well beyond its actual dimensions. An open kitchen design seamlessly blends with the space’s décor and ambiance in continuation of the theme of social connectivity.

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Exuding a notion of contemporary, non-ostentatious elegance,  custom designed intricate lighting controls quality, temperature, and modulation. A subtle highlight is the silent homage to the original brutalist architectural language of the building via a grid concrete ceiling with embedded custom copper lights. These not only infuse new life into a dated ambience, but entice inward exploration of the vibrant new spaces, drawing patrons back from the external hustle and bustle in order to frame the city from a more observational perspective.

Fact File: 

Project Name: Le Boulevardier Restaurant / Le Flâneur Bar Lounge

Project type: Lounge, Bar, Restaurant

Design: Atelier Zébulon Perron

Lead Designer: Zébulon Perron  

Team: Catherine Landry, Andréanne Guillemette, Anik Mandalian, Sabrina Camiré.

Surface area: 8000 sq. ft. (743 sq. m.)

Project Location:  Montréal, Québec