The mayor of Montréal, Gérald Tremblay, recently announced the winning project in the architecture competition for the new indoor soccer center at the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex (SMEC). The jury has chosen the concept developed by Saucier + Perrotte & Hughes Condon Marler Architects from among the four submitted by the finalist firms. The daring and creative project is one more step toward the completion of this long-awaited project, which will provide Montrealers with access to a sports center that is not only functional but boasts a modern design meeting the highest standards of quality. This public building, a testament to the talent of our local architects, will be incorporated into the SMEC, one of the largest parks in Montréal. More images and project description after the break.
The roof of the new soccer center on the site of the former Miron quarry will call to mind a mineral stratum, eloquently heralding the structure as seen from Avenue Papineau. The volumes of the building will rise like a series of luminous crystals among the trees in the wooded embankment bordering the avenue, lending a human scale to the project to observers in the residential neighborhood on the other side of Papineau, and inviting citizens to explore the SMEC park.
The center will include one full-size soccer pitch that can be subdivided into smaller surfaces for seven-a-side play; locker rooms; a fitness and physiotherapy room; an event and restaurant area; and a family rest area. The center will also house the offices of the Association régionale de soccer Montréal Concordia. Pursuant to Montréal’s policy on sustainable development for municipal buildings, the Ville de Montréal is targeting LEED–NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, New Construction) Gold certification for this exemplary structure.
The total cost of the new soccer center is $28.3 million, with the Ville de Montréal investing $15.6 million and the governments of Canada and Québec contributing another $12.7 million through the Building Canada Fund – Québec.
