Royal Victoria College
Entrance canopy

Montreal, Quebec – 2008-2009

Located on University Street, near Sherbrooke Street, the canopy marks an entryway to the Royal Victoria College, built at the end of the 19th century. This is the main entrance to the Roscoe Wing, a women’s student residence, built in 1964 by the architects Durnford, Bolton, Chadwick and Ellwood.

The project required that a new functional canopy replaced the existing canopy, which was in a very advanced state of deterioration. The new canopy was to be aesthetically pleasing and simple, respectful of the historical context and anchored to the rigid architecture of the Roscoe Wing.

The principal structure of the new canopy, in exposed concrete, imitates the old canopy’s profile in order to respond to the historical criteria put forth by the city. Existing limestone was reused to reconstruct the exterior walls. A central cantilevered element, framed in aluminum, was suspended to the concrete slab and composed of a torrefied wood soffit and low-energy encased lighting fixtures. TAD has also added a new access ramp, with benches in the garden area to encourage a greater use of this area by the residents and to animate the building’s exterior façade.