The Grand Equinox

A boutique and lifestyle hotel developer based in New York City is looking to expand their global presence and has recently purchased a Beaux-Art-style property located at the edge of Old Montreal in Quebec, Canada. While it is important that the project be mindful of the physical qualities of the building, and the cosmopolitan nature of Montreal, it is equally important that the design acknowledges its larger context, in the heart of Quebec, a Canadian province with a distinct culture, language, and history.



The Grand Equinox is a combination of splices of various aspects of the beauty of Montreal. The history and architecture language, the artsy culture and creative neighborhood, and the splendid natural surroundings.



Using the Beaux-Art language that heritage from the site’s building itself leads the customer to walk into this gilded age storybook that illustrates the beautiful season changing from spring, summer, and fall to winter in Montreal.



Guests will be welcomed with a warm and welcoming vestibule, double-height grand lobby, trophy display-inspired reception, immersive gallery stairs, signature bar, and restaurants, each “box” of the space in the hotel has its own unique appearance and experience. Aesthetically, not just celebrate the detail and ornate craftsmanship from the past but also introduce modern materiality and technology that enhance the experience and connect spaces based on the idea of shifting.



Shifting from spring to winter, from the old Montreal to the new Montreal, from past into the future, all the space in the hotel is to create this fantasy collage of masterpieces that bring the guest back to the good old times, exploring the heyday, and providing them a soothing and exclusive journey in the taste of Montreal.