Diamond Schmitt and Lemay Michaud have just revealed the plans for a significant revitalization and expansion project for McGill University. Based at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital Site for the University, the project aims to create a sustainability research and innovation center. The New Vic project is slated to open its doors in 2027, breathing “new life” into several historically significant buildings.
The New Vic project aims to transform a portion of the former hospital scheme into a hub for interdisciplinary research and teaching. With a specific focus on sustainability and environmental challenges, the project hopes to pioneer innovation for social benefit. Prioritizing sustainability and preservation, the scheme involves a curated blend of restoration and new design of contemporary, accessible spaces.
Designed to approach LEED Gold and WELL Gold environmental standards, the scheme respects the original architecture of the building, which dates back to 1893. Featuring Scottish baronial-style pavilions against the backdrop of the park, the revitalization of the heritage structures mixes restoration and adaptive reuse.
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CHYBIK + KRISTOF Wins Competition to Design Multifunctional Tower in Tirana, AlbaniaIn order to revitalize the site, the design aims to integrate with the surrounding natural landscape seamlessly. Designed in collaboration with CCxA Lanscape architects, the scheme restores public access to Mount Royal and emphasizes open, accessible links are critical components of the concerted effort to re-establish the forecourt landscape. Furthermore, the project team is working with Indigenous partners to guarantee a respectful relationship with the traditional lands and incorporate spaces for learning and reconciliation.
By using skylit interior courts, the architectural design forms an atrium flooded with natural light. These areas encourage easy circulation around the site and draw attention to previously hidden fine elements of the ancient façade. The large rooms have two functions: they are gathering places for informal get-togethers, and they connect the many teaching and research areas in the New Vic.
The new facilities follow a 'living lab' approach, which organizes spaces around activities rather than discrete disciplines, departing from typical departmental layouts. This strategy ensures that academics from different domains are encouraged to collaborate closely. In fact, the labs and classrooms are very flexible, encouraging active learning and accommodating changing research requirements. Finally, the integration of multidisciplinary 'discovery hubs' facilitates knowledge exchange between researchers, policymakers, and community partners in a variety of sectors by acting as collaborative spaces.
The new building's rooftop garden acts as an addition to Mount Royal at large. It consists of gardens and tiered green roofs that provide areas for learning, research, and social events. Additionally, it offers an overall view of the McGill campus and the surrounding area. This design creates new public walkways and green spaces that blend in with the steep terrain of the land and the rooflines of the heritage buildings. These restore access to Mount Royal and create links between the city center, McGill University, and the steeper terrains of Mount Royal Park. This idea builds on Olmsted's original plan for the site, extending Mount Royal's terrain and native vegetation into the metropolitan landscape while balancing urban growth with the natural environment.
Architects designing new campuses for educational institutions are always aiming to merge innovation, sustainability, and community engagement for academic collaboration and advancement. Last week, Studio Gang revealed the design for a new theater for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF). Planned to become the first purpose-built LEED Platinum theater in the United States, the building located in Garrison, NY, will serve as the permanent home for HVSF. Additionally, OMA / Chris van Duijn recently won the competition to design a new campus for Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea. The proposal introduces a cluster of low-rise buildings interconnected by a network of public spaces molded on the existing topography of the site. Finally, EskewDumezRipple has just revealed the designs for a new academic building for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
