This building is right beside where I live and is called now the Château Saint-Ambroise. It is located at 4000-4020-4030, Saint-Ambroise Street, Montreal.
Once it was a huge cotton spinning mill called Merchants Manufacturing Company and then Dominion Textiles.
The original building in red brick with buff patterns and terra cotta decorative insertions has a convex façade that follows the line of the railroad tracks, along the canal. It was built between 1880 and 1906. The wood and steel structure allows for large small-paned windows and huge interior spaces, minimizing lighting costs and maximizing space use. Two towers contain the fire escape stairs. In all, the complex includes five interconnected buildings.
The original building in red brick with buff patterns and terra cotta decorative insertions has a convex façade that follows the line of the railroad tracks, along the canal. It was built between 1880 and 1906. The wood and steel structure allows for large small-paned windows and huge interior spaces, minimizing lighting costs and maximizing space use. Two towers contain the fire escape stairs. In all, the complex includes five interconnected buildings.
With the building's conversion into the Château Saint-Ambroise, the interior was adapted to its new vocation (commercial and residential lofts, artist studios, and business offices), but many of the original floors were preserved. The space formerly used for unloading trucks and storing merchandise was transformed into gardens and terraces with a view of the Lachine Canal.The next photo shows the building in its setting, from the Canal (one can see the western corner and the chimney).
In addition to being located in the Lachine Canal exceptional heritage sector, the building was identified as a building of exceptional heritage value by the Built Heritage Evaluation carried out by the City of Montreal.It was thanks to the initiative of two private investors that the complex was renovated and reopened to the public.
Considered that this neigbourhood, St-Henri, had gone through 30 years of difficulties, with declining population, factories closing down and plenty of vacant and contaminated lots around, these people had a vision...
For me it's great to walk around in the endless corridors on creaky wood floors. My hairdresser is in this building and sometimes I eat at the restaurant, which uses the very nice terrace.
Although we could argue... What is the style the chose for the terrace 'accessories'? Lions, fountains, lamps... Someone of you, my architect friends, can tell if this is in any way related to the style of the building? Thanks!
