When approaching the new CHUM, the first thing people notice is its size; it’s visible from almost every vantage point within Montreal. People then notice how the clouds dance across the glass. How the architecture beautifully juxtaposes historic and new. How the design integrates monumental works of modern art. How it’s catalyzing new development in all areas surrounding the once overlooked site. And most importantly, how it’s delivering a level of world-class healthcare never seen in Quebec.

Rethinking The Future Awards 2022
First Award | Healthcare Wellness (Built)

©Adrien Williams and Olivier Gariépy

While new healthcare buildings are continually opening across the globe, none match the CHUM. It’s a 21-story. 3.5 million-SF urban academic medical center bringing healthcare, research, history and culture together in one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

The CHUM story begins with its site, which is located along St. Denis Street, one of the most famed streets in Canada. The two blocks the CHUM occupies are on what was once an underused stretch of the street, between the history-laden district of Old Montreal and the culturally rich Latin Quarter. The CHUM now acts as a binder between these important districts, connecting them with a dynamic new area known as the Quartier de la Santé: Montreal’s new health district.

©Adrien Williams and Olivier Gariépy

CHUM responds to its urban site by presenting buildings that vary in scale and articulation while maintaining a common language of materials and façade strategies. A “three towers” concept allows for a massing that is sympathetic to the neighborhood and identifiable in form and character from key vantage points within the city. It also simplifies wayfinding as each of the towers house a specific function: inpatient beds, ambulatory center and medical offices.

The forms closest to the street relate to the low and mid-rise nature of the buildings along St. Denis Street. The grandest example is the expansive courtyard that sits at the heart of the CHUM—acting as a point of reference, a public space and an open zone giving neighboring buildings room to breathe. It also houses the CHUM’s signature architectural element—a 500-seat auditorium clad in a copper sheath. This same copper adorns several other elements across the campus, including a bridge connecting the main hospital to a neighboring building.

©Adrien Williams and Olivier Gariépy

Although many hospitals integrate art, the CHUM houses the largest collection of public art in the history of Quebec’s public art program. Works range from mountain peaks spanning eight stories on the façade of the ambulatory care center to a first-of-its-kind sound installation. History also becomes art with the thoughtful integration of architectural artifacts. Prior to the new complex, the site housed an abandoned church and the Garth House — a building that once housed the church custodian. To preserve the legacy of these structures, the steeple from the church was preserved and defines a key corner of the site, and two of the Garth House facades are integrated into the main interior hall — visible through the CHUM’s transparent walls.