Inspired by the Kunsthallen — open exhibition spaces devoted to contemporary art, typically without a permanent collection — PHI Contemporary is a place where heritage, contemporary creation, and civic engagement coexist. The project brings together old and new, indoors and out, giving artists spaces in which to give free rein to their ideas while making the results of their work readily accessible to the public.
Set on a sloping site in Old Montréal, the project showcases heritage buildings, including Maison Louis-Viger (circa 1765) and Maison Du Calvet (circa 1770). Extensively and repeatedly altered over the centuries, the interiors of the two houses had fallen into disrepair. Pared back to their stone shells, the structures now reveal their original construction while providing the most flexible space possible.
From Bonsecours Street, a platform topped by a roof garden — where much of the exhibition space is concentrated — slots in behind the façade of Maison Louis-Viger and connects to the second level of Maison Du Calvet. Beneath the platform, at the southwest corner, an entrance leads to the reception area, a café-bar, auditoriums, and archives. A ramp running through the building provides access to the roof garden, set to become a new flagship destination at the heart of the historic district.
An innovative project, PHI Contemporary establishes itself as a new cultural infrastructure and a landmark for Montréal: a vast public realm, open to the city, where the public is invited to take part in the multidimensional presentation of PHI's art, discourse, and creative practices.
The images shown are subject to change and may not reflect the project as built.