IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 16

BEFORE

Photo by: (right) Stéphane Brugger

PRE/POST | Before and After, Done Right

AFTER

A 60-year-old hotel's MODERN-DAY
doesn't lose sight of its storied past.

REDESIGN

By | Ali Morris

W
"

In the 1960s
and 1970s,
this hotel
represented
a window
to the
world. We
wanted to
reconnect
to that era
but not recreate the
interiors.

"

-Martin Leblanc

16

perspective

When renovating an iconic hotel like the Fairmont
The Queen Elizabeth, it can be tempting to simply
reinvent history.
After all, the 1958 hotel-the largest in Montreal,
Quebec, Canada-has played host to an impressive
roster of guests, including numerous royals; Hollywood
stars such as Joan Crawford and John Travolta; and
government leaders including Cuba's Fidel Castro and
the United States' George W. Bush. It was also the site
of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 bed-in after they
were denied entry into the United States.
But almost 60 years after it opened its doors, the
historic hotel was starting to lose its grandeur. So in
2016, The Queen Elizabeth was shut down and Sid Lee
Architecture, Montreal, was tasked with giving the hotel a
more modern design.
"In the 1960s and 1970s, this hotel represented a
window to the world," says Martin Leblanc, senior
partner, Sid Lee Architecture. "We wanted to
reconnect to that era but not recreate the interiors."
Leblanc and his team began the yearlong
transformation by opening the 690,000-square-foot
(64,103-square-meter) building up to its surroundings.
"This hotel was built for another century," Leblanc
says. "It was built in a time when everything was very
enclosed-nobody would see service and back of house.
We really opened it up and reconnected it to the city."
New windows showcase the surrounding city views

iida.org/perspective

and bring in more natural light. A sculptural white
staircase spirals upward from the hotel's Grand Hall,
funneling light through to the center of the floor plates.
The designers, however, didn't completely shun the
past. Instead, they cherry-picked elements from the
midcentury era and reimagined them. Swirling optical
patterns and bold chevrons that recall the psychedelic
1960s were used in small spaces, appearing on strips of
floor tiles or wall coverings. Tan leather seating and plush
carpets introduce comfort and luxury while subtly evoking
designs of the 1970s.
Each area and venue in the hotel has its own distinct
mood to make the space easily navigable. The designers
were careful to link spaces through consistent choices
such as marble, stone, and brass. These materials reflect
the warmth and sense of luxury that is present throughout
all Fairmont hotels.
"Materials were selected to enhance some features
or characteristics of the space," Leblanc says. "The
glossy black stone, for example, provides a link between
spaces on the ground floor, but it's used differently in
each space."
Similarly, Roma Imperial stone covers the columns in
the hotel's Grand Hall while it's also used on the front of
the bar on the roof terrace.
"We wanted the interiors to flow seamlessly from one
space to another," Leblanc says."We managed to give each
room a different identity while also keeping it cohesive."


http://www.iida.org/perspective

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018

IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018
From IIDA
Contents
Next
World View
Sum of Its Parts
Talk, Talk
Data Viz
Pre/Post
I Design
Redesigning Gender
The Real Deal
Supermarket Shift
Safe Spaces
Ready for Takeoff
Scratch Pad
Insider Intel
IIDA News + Updates
Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - From IIDA
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 3
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 5
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Next
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 8
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 9
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - World View
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 11
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Sum of Its Parts
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 13
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Talk, Talk
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Data Viz
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Pre/Post
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - I Design
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Redesigning Gender
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 20
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 22
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - The Real Deal
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 26
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 28
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 29
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Supermarket Shift
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 31
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 32
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 33
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 34
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 35
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Safe Spaces
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 37
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 38
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 39
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 40
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 41
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Ready for Takeoff
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 43
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 44
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 45
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 46
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 47
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 48
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 49
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Scratch Pad
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 51
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Insider Intel
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 53
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - IIDA News + Updates
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 55
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - Cover4
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