Contact Jacqueline Beckingham, 董事, 洛杉矶
jacqueline.beckingham@benoy.com
Royalmount is a large, mixed-use scheme located in the heart of Montreal. Comprising retail, leisure, hospitality, corporate and residential developments, the project is set to create an exciting urban destination for Canada’s second city.
Here, Jacqueline Beckingham, Benoy’s Global Creative Director, explains how Benoy US has been helping to refine and deliver the vision for this vibrant new Midtown neighbourhood.
Return to Future Thinking
Essentially, the idea is to create an urban cultural and commercial hub that will connect people and generations. It’s a bold vision; a significant, mixed-use project on a large, underutilized brownfield site. But the location is ideal.
In the early phases, Royalmount will include two performance venues, restaurants, shops, a food hall, cinema and plaza, as well as a rooftop farm. There will be extensive outdoor areas, linked via pedestrianised streets and an elevated park. During later phases, it will encompass as many as 8,000 residences, offices and hotels.
We’re also introducing a bridge from De La Savane metro station over Highway 15, enabling direct pedestrian access and limiting the number of cars on site. In fact, we’ve ensured connectivity through every mode of public transport, even linking to Montreal’s cycle network.
'We’re creating a place that Montrealer’s will be proud of; and a place that the international community will look to as a benchmark for sustainable, green and animated urban developments.'
We’ve been engaged as project designers and masterplanners since 2015. Our role has been to craft an environment for a unique collection of uses which will become a walkable, pedestrian-scale development for all ages.
Working alongside a Quebec-based consultancy, we’ve been able to leverage local knowledge and expertise to ensure this is a sustainable, forward-thinking development that’s right for Montreal.
In this way, we’re creating a place that Montrealer’s will be proud of; and a place that the international community will look to as a benchmark for sustainable, green and animated urban developments.
As designers, we’re always trying to create the best possible places. We use our knowledge of world-class design as a reference point and try to match or exceed those standards.
Specifically, we’ve applied lessons from our work in Europe and Asia. One is about the visitor journey – both to and through the development. We want to make navigation easy and intuitive; to ensure everyone has a simple and pleasurable experience, whatever the purpose of their visit or mode of transport. This people-centric approach helps to remove barriers to repeat business.
We have great expertise in placemaking, which is at the heart of successful mixed-use projects. Our architects, interior designers and urban planners work together to craft places that enhance the visitor experience.
Mixed-use is about the coming together of different building uses. At Royalmount, we’re celebrating the interaction of those uses and the spaces between them. We’ve worked really hard to animate and connect spaces in a sympathetic manner. The design language is contemporary but references the city’s heritage, which provides a key aesthetic connection.
Locally, we know Royalmount will create a compelling destination for both leisure and employment. It will provide links to Quebec’s gastronomic culture and opportunities for local merchants and food producers, while promoting sustainable living, health and wellbeing.
Montreal is known for its ‘joie de vivre’ and Royalmount will embrace that spirit, offering an abundance of activities and experiences. It will add to the rich cultural tapestry of Montreal.
And as our first major project in North America, it will showcase Benoy’s ability to create places that resonate with people while boosting creative and commercial potential. We look forward to the first phase opening in 2022.