Designed by architect Luigi Moretti and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, this tower was the tallest concrete structure in the world at the time of its completion.
NEUF’s design was developed around the creation of a vertical link between five storeys occupied by the Fasken offices. This link takes the form of a monumental staircase, the result of an in-depth analysis of traffic flows. This study also made it possible to define the private and public areas, as well as the choice of materials and the development of signage.
Previously obstructed windows now allow light to pour into this open space, where hundreds of works of art from Fasken’s private collection are strategically deployed.
The backbone of the project, the staircase unfolds like a sheet of paper to provide fluid circulation between the floors which are now open and luminous. It constitutes a city-wide landmark at the heart of Montréal, and when illuminated at night is visible from a distance. The surrounding programs are organized as collaborative spaces at the centre and areas of concentration on the outskirts, the latter thus separated from commotion and comings and goings.
The signage elements were custom-designed based on the FASKEN triangle—their shape, colour and location studied to blend into the architectural program while facilitating the orientation of users. Among the main interventions were the development of the graphic language of the pictograms distributed throughout the 120,000 ft² of the project (including a timeline and corporate logos in copper), the layout of the reception area and the enhancement of the library.
The interventions proposed by our team will allow Fasken’s presence to resonate at the scale of the tower and city that they’ve occupied for decades. Employees and clients alike will be able to enjoy the new spaces by 2020.
Photo credit : Raphaël Thibodeau
