In November 2019, the hotel Le Germain Montreal reopened its doors after being closed for a year, during which it was expanded and underwent a complete renovation. The project first consisted in the renovation of all existing interiors, from the entrance to the lobby, restaurant, bar and guestrooms. Groupe Germain also wanted to expand the 18-storey building by adding six additional floors in order to offer 36 more rooms to its clientele. As the hotel is located in a dense urban context, the construction of these floors was carried out using an ingenious and efficient construction technique.
The new concept, which was inspired by the building erected in 1967, transports visitors to the heart of one of Montreal's most influential periods, the 1960s, an era that saw the 1967 World's Fair and brought a wave of innovation and a new openness to design. Throughout the hotel's overall design concept development, the team kept in mind the curved shapes omnipresent during the era. The result is a design that integrates curves on all levels and details: in the corridors curved walls and the partition in the guestrooms' bathroom, in the furniture and equipment purchased and custom designed, and much more. The colour palette is also inspired by the shades favoured in the 60s, revisited to bring modernity and distinction.
A new way-finding system and a custom mural were also developed as an integral part of the package. The first element is a personalized, retro-modern play of constructed and deconstructed circles that is used for the floor numbers and in curvy pictograms, in harmony with certain elements of the interiors such as the carpets and pieces of artwork. The second element, a custom mural, was designed for the guest bathrooms. It has been treated as a graphic time capsule that presents a mosaic of images and fun facts about the cultural, social, sports and political scenes of the late '60s, thus highlighting this important period.
Photos : Raphaël Thibodeau
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