It’s been a long time coming but finally, Montreal’s iconic city hall — the “citizen’s house,” as elected officials like to call it — is finally reopening.
The national historic landmark has been closed for five years during a massive $211-million restoration project.
More than 750,000 hours of labour and 3,000 workers were involved in modernizing the building while maintaining its historic charm.
“We restore every finishes, every marble finishes,” Menaud Lapointe, the chief architect overseeing the project, told Global News.
He says the focus was restoring and repairing as much of the original material as possible, from oak wood doors and banisters to the copper roof, marble floors and limestone façade.
“We put restoration in the priority,” the architect at Beaupré Michaud et Associés, Architectes said.
City hall has become more user-friendly with hands-on interactive photos and timelines as well as a renovated terrace with skyline views that will be open to the public.
More natural light was added, public spaces enlarged and heating/cooling systems overhauled. City hall now runs on 100 per cent electricity, making it 99 per cent carbon emission-free.
“I’m really excited. I feel really proud to be mayor at this period of time,” Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said during a press conference.
The mayor is looking forward to moving back into her office and sitting in the newly refurbished council chamber.
“It’s worth it, it’s really open. There’s a lot of light and a lot of accessibility for people,” she said.
This is the largest restoration and renovation project in city hall history.
The building was constructed in 1878 but a devastating fire destroyed its interior in 1922, leaving only its exterior façade intact.
The iconic landmark was rebuilt in 1926 and there have been expansions, restorations and other changes to modernize the structure in the years since but nothing of this magnitude.
“We learned a lot during the adventure of this restoration, Émilie Thuillier, executive committee member responsible for city infrastructure, said at a press conference.
City hall will open to public visits as of Saturday and the first council meeting will return June 17.