As an architect, I can truly say that I am very disappointed with this project. It’s quite ironic that out of the many towers going up around the Bell Center, the Tour des Canadiens (which will arguably have the most impact on the skyline) also happens to be the tower with the least vision and creativity. Why is it that we are still building concrete boxes like back in the 70s? I understand that in the field of architecture, it is important to respect the client’s needs and budget, and that often when the budget is tight, the quality of the design unfortunately suffers. But from the prestigious and wealthy organizations developing this project (Montreal Canadiens, Cadillac Fairview), I expected more. From the architecture firms involved, one of which is considered to be amongst the better firms in the city, I expected more. And from the city, who ultimately approved this project, this was a missed opportunity on their part to push for something other than mediocrity. It’s astonishingly sad when a building’s most interesting feature happens to be its indoor parking garage…
