Firm： Bisson Fortin

Type： Transport + Infrastructure › Train/Subway

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2022

SIZE： 25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

BUDGET： $50M - 100M

The construction of a second entrance pavilion at the Vendôme metro station, located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, is part of the plan to improve the fluidity, the universal accessibility and the operational efficiency of the Métro station, as well as to create a direct underground pedestrian link to the EXO train station platforms and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) building.

In order to achieve these connection objectives while protecting the architectural heritage of the existing subway station, the project is inserted into a tight site located between the bus loop and an existing building. The facade of the new entrance building extends perpendicularly to de Maisonneuve Boulevard in order to assert this new urban entrance and open onto the plaza at the intersection of Vendôme Avenue. The volume of the building creates an opening at the junction with the existing metro tunnel, allowing it to be attached perpendicularly, with a view to structural and functional optimisation.

Upon approaching the station, a signal canopy welcomes the users and identifies the two entrances to the building, one dedicated to the metro and one allowing direct access to the underground corridor leading to the EXO station and to MUHC. The structural framework, favouring a peripheral alignment of the columns, allows for a completely open plan, which favours the fluidity and visibility of the circulation components. Several accessibility strategies also make up the route, including the positioning of the elevators adjacent to the staircases, which promotes a sense of proximity for the various users.

While the project is fundamentally designed to improve the sustainability of Vendome Station and its surroundings, the project has also achieved a gold level ENVISION certification from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). This certification recognizes excellence in green infrastructure projects that have a positive impact on communities.