Sustainability – The outcome of an architectural competition, the Fasken project aims to rethink and renovate 6 stories of this large law firm in Montreal’s Stock Exchange Tower, a space they’ve occupied since the building’s inauguration in 1964. Designed by architect Luigi Moretti and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, the tower was the tallest concrete structure in the world at the time of its completion. The interventions proposed by our team will allow Fasken’s presence to resonate at the scale of the tower and in the city that they’ve occupied for decades. 

Creativity – Our team was hired to rethink the experience of the employees and clients to adapt to current needs as well as to integrate a collection of more than 500 works of art into the space. The project’s design was developed around the creation of a vertical link between the five storeys of the Fasken offices. This link takes the form of a monumental staircase that unfolds like a sheet of paper to provide fluid circulation between the floors which are now open and luminous. The backbone of the project, the staircase constitutes a city-wide landmark at the heart of Montreal, and when illuminated at night is visible from a distance. 

Functionality – An in-depth analysis of traffic flows made it possible to define the layers of private and public areas around the staircase, select materials, and develop their signage. Programs are collaborative and social towards the centre and become places of concentration towards the outskirts, where quiet is achieved through spatial separation from everyday activities. Previously obstructed windows now allow light to pour into this open space and benefit all end users, employees and clients, with a spectacular view of the city and its surrounding. 

Innovation – The integrated design and signage elements were custom-designed as an extension of the FASKEN brand image—their shape, colour, and location studied to blend into the architectural program while facilitating the orientation of users. A big part of the intervention was 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 law firm’s library.