A hundred and fifty years after its construction, Bonsecours Market remains one of Montreal’s most important landmarks. As the historic quarter’s central market, it sits on a promontory affording a panoramic view of the Old Port and the Saint Lawrence River. Bonsecours Market was recycled in the 1990s as boutique retail space and municipal offices.
To complete the interior recycling project of twenty years ago, this exterior restoration project includes the replacement and restoration of the architectural features of the building envelope: windows, exterior doors, soffits, cornices and columns. The restoration approach considered each architectural element distinctly with respect to the following criteria: heritage value; material integrity; technical performance; and artisanal techniques of assembly.
Replacing the building’s 250 original wood windows with new wood-sash units in oak was a key decision in respecting the heritage value of this historic monument. Soffits, columns and exterior doors were also recreated using traditional artisanal materials and techniques.
