Neighbourhood - Buildings

Université de Montréal



Achitecture

The Roger Gaudry Building, designed by the architect Ernest Cormier, was built on a challenging site. The majestic Art Deco tower is a distinctive feature of Montreal's skyline, characterized by simplicity of form and the use of reinforced concrete covered by buff vitrified brick.

Centrepiece of the master plan developed by Cormier and retained by his successor, the architect Ludger Venne, it is based on a traditional symmetrical plan in the manner of Quebec convents. The building forms a stairway hugging the slope of the mountain and topped by a domed tower. In front of the tower is the main courtyard. At each end of the main building are two asymmetrical pyramids linked to two horizontal buildings, each with three vertical wings.

Inside, the impressive hall of honour, finished in marble and other noble materials, leads to the grand Art Deco amphitheatre, named the “Salle Ernest-Cormier” in honour of its architect.

The building houses fourteen amphitheatres, twenty classrooms, almost a hundred laboratories and seven main stairways and is now home to the faculties of computer science, dentistry, physics, chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine.

Image : HM_ARC_005069

Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec: Plan of implantation
Ernest Cormier
1961
157 cm x 53.6 cm
© Fonds Ernest Cormier / Canadian Centre for Architecture, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_005055

Université de Montréal, library and administrative locals, Montrreal, Quebec: Perspective
Ernest Cormier
1961
54.3 cm x 34.8 cm
© Fonds Ernest Cormier / Centre Canadien d’Architecture, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_005067

Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec: Main façade elevation
Ernest Cormier

96.4 cm x 46.6 cm
© Fonds Ernest Cormier / Canadian Centre for Architecture, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_005073

Université de Montréal, central body of the main block, Montreal Quebec: Elevation and details
Ernest Cormier
1927
126.5 cm x 103 cm
© Fonds Ernest Cormier / Canadian Centre for Architecture, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_005065

Université de Montréal, athletic equipements, Montreal, Quebec: Perspective
Ernest Cormier
1960
61.5 cm x 42.8 cm
© Fonds Ernest Cormier / Canadian Centre for Architecture, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_005060

Université de Montréal, laboratories block of the main building , Montreal, Quebec: Perspective
Ernest Cormier
1926
99.4 cm x 67.2 cm
© Fonds Ernest Cormier / Canadian Centre for Architecture, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_003993

Université de Montréal

15.2 cm x 10.4 cm
© Dinu Bumbaru, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_003438

Tower of the Université de Montréal

4.2 cm x 6.1 cm
© HEC Montréal, © Héritage Montréal

Image : HM_ARC_002450

Aerial view of Université de Montréal's main building
1978
© Ville de Montréal, Gestion de documents et archives (17-11-6-3 R4034.2), © Héritage Montréal