Client Lune Rouge Official name La Maison-Alcan Floor area 3 ha | Completed 1983 Owner Guy Laliberté Opened 1983 Architect Raymond Affleck | |
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Similar Deloitte Tower, Roccabella, Bell Media Tower, Van Horne Mansion, Tour des Canadiens | ||
Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is the world headquarters for Alcan, now part of Rio Tinto Alcan, and is located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal. Completed in 1983, the complex's integration of new construction with restored or renovated buildings marked a turning point in corporate Montreal's approach to development.
Contents
Maison Alcan combined restored Golden Square Mile properties—Atholstan House, the Beique, the former Berkeley Hotel, the Holland House, as well as the Salvation Army's Montreal Citadel on Drummond Street—with a new aluminum-clad structure, known as the Davis Building. The Berkeley Hotel serves as the main entrance to the complex and its atrium, on Sherbrooke Street. According to the La Presse newspaper, Maison Alcan marked the first time a major corporation based in Montreal had sought to preserve historic properties as part of a new headquarters. Given the controversial demolition of the nearby Van Horne Mansion, Maison Alcan was a significant step in the battle to preserve the architectural heritage of the Golden Square Mile.
Architects
Maison Alcan was designed by the Montreal-based architectural firm of Arcop (Architects in co-partnership), with Ray Affleck as lead architect. Peter Rose collaborated with Peter Lanken on the interior planning and design.
Sale
In May 2011, it was reported that Rio Tinto Alcan was looking to sell Maison Alcan and move to new headquarters, due to the cost of renovating the building for a smaller workforce—and with the historic status of four of the seven buildings possibly complicating renovations. The complex was listed by real estate brokers Cushman & Wakefield, with a $30 million minimum bid.
In 2015, Alcan moved its HQ from the building and relocated to the Deloitte Tower, which is located between Windsor Station and the Bell Centre.
Maison Alcan was classified as a heritage immovable by the Ministry of Culture and Communications the 23 February 2017.