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FEBRUA RY 2017 | 83 Tour des Canadiens PHOTOGRAPHY + RENDERING COURTESY CADILLAC FAIRVIEW Tour des Canadiens by ROBIN BRUNET "L ocation is everything" is a familiar mantra in the development field, and Cadillac Fairview's 50-storey Tour des Canadiens condominium project gives new meaning to the phrase. As part of Cadillac Fairview's $2-billion Quad Windsor project in downtown Montreal, the striking edifice joins the recently opened Deloitte Tower, other office towers and new retail, restaurant and green space as a model transit- oriented urban neighbourhood. Connected to the adjacent Montreal Canadiens' club home, the Bell Centre, as well as Windsor Station, and with direct access to Montreal's RESO underground and metro line, Tour des Canadiens sold out within three months of its 2012 marketing campaign. But its location also proved to be the biggest challenge, construction-wise. "Tour des Canadiens would be built directly above a metro line and in a tight urban area where four other towers were being constructed close by," says Cadillac Fairview VP, development, Terry Fraser- Reid. "Co-ordinating deliveries alone was a massive exercise in scheduling." To which Jeroen Henrich, VP, development and asset management for Canderel, (the development partners along with the Montreal Canadiens and the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ), adds, "as well as its connectivity, we wanted the tower to have unique and plentiful amenities, including a pool and deck terraces with individual suites." The development team retained architects Cardinal Hardy and Martin Marcotte/Beinhaker (later to be amalgamated into Lemay+MMA, which was subsequently acquired by IBI Group) to design a tower that uses extensive glazing and yet retains traditional design elements of Montreal's surrounding skyline. Originally the plan was to design a glass tower, but it was later agreed to use precast concrete as a cladding, both for esthetic benefits and for speed of erection. The tower rests on an elevated platform containing eight levels of indoor parking and a lightbox gallery featuring a celebration of Montreal and its lifestyle. Aside from providing convenient parking, the elevated platform solved the problem of the tower's proximity to the Bell Centre – since the condo units begin on the ninth floor, every owner has unobstructed views of the city. Attention to detail was paramount; a fitness room recreates the ambiance of the Habs' dressing room, while a Skylounge provides not only stunning views of Montreal but also advances the sumptuous elements of the best cocktail bars. Fraser-Reid says of the design process, "We'd worked with the architects and designers before, so esthetically we kept an open mind. While the very tight site dictated the geometry of the tower, the process was very much one of positive creative tension in which ideas were exchanged and reviewed, adopted and modified." By the time ground broke on what would be a 36-month construction process, Reliance Construction of Canada Ltd. and civil engineers SDK et Associés were prepared to tackle a host of challenges, one of the biggest being constructing the podium directly above the metro line. "The excavation depth was about 40-feet deep, and the subway was another 40- to 50-feet below that, so in order to accommodate building loads we had to sink five pairs of five-foot diameter caissons on either side of the subway tunnel and about 25 lower than the tunnel," says SDK structural engineer Marc-André Nadin, adding that five massive transfer beams (each five-metres tall), were attached to the caissons. The drilling for the caissons alone took over three months, and in order not to delay the work schedule, Reliance constructed portions of the underground levels as the drilling took place. Transfer beams were also required to provide clear spans for a subterranean sports bar that is scheduled for construction early this year. The use of precast concrete panels for cladding enabled Reliance to fully realize the architects' facade of horizontal and vertical lines; 1,190 precast concrete panels were produced, some with granite finish, specially selected by the owners. Some panels are double-width insulated wall panels, used at the parking level. For the residential section, a system of conventional single width precast concrete cladding panels, interior steel studs, spray insulation and drywall was used. With these panels, construction of Tour des Canadiens occurred faster than expected. Guy Tremblay, technical director for the panel design and manufacturer BPDL, points out that although the building was designed to accommodate the loads of the precast panels, the granite finishes added substantially to the overall weight. "So the solution was to go with a lightweight aggregate as the backup for these panels," he says, adding that finish options such as porcelain were considered and rejected. Considering the switch from the original concept of a glass tower to precast cladding was so dramatic, BPDL created full-size mockups and samples for the owners prior to the full- out manufacturing process. "That way, we were able to accommodate their precise preferences," says Tremblay. An unusual degree of quality control was enjoyed by BPDL. For example, windows were installed in the punched openings of the panels at the precast plant. "This was much more efficient than installing them on site, and we also had the panels tested at a lab to ensure no leakages." Starting in February of 2015, BPDL erected an average of eight panels per day; all anchors were hot-dipped galvanized to facilitate installation. Another significant challenge occurred prior to construction, and after all of the condos had been presold. "The owners required another three storeys to be added to the tower," says Nadin. "We had already designed the tower to resist lateral loads, and because all the units had been sold we couldn't very well subtract living space with the addition of walls for extra stabilization." SDK's solution was to install a liquid slosher damper on the 51st level mechanical penthouse. This system, widely used in tall structures in Tokyo and New York City, relies on the motion of liquid inside a movable tank to dampen vibrations caused by wind and seismic activity. "To my knowledge, it's the only building in Montreal to use this technology," says Nadin. Tour des Canadiens embodies a unique concept in which sports and entertainment are an integral part of everyday life, and the developers couldn't be more excited with its completion. Fraser-Reid says, "It's a wonderful addition to Quad Windsor, and its success is also due to a close working relationship we enjoyed with the Borough of Ville Marie and the City of Montreal. Together with the architects and builders, we've created a genuine showcase residence." A LOCATION 1288 Avenue-des-Canadien-de-Montréal, Montreal, Quebec OWNER/DEVELOPER Cadillac Fairview, in partnership with Canderel, Montreal Canadiens and the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ ARCHITECT Cardinal Hardy and Martin Marcotte/Beinhaker (subsequently Lemay+MMA, and later IBI Group) GENERAL CONTRACTOR Reliance Construction of Canada Ltd. CIVIL/STRUCTURAL ENGINEER SDK et Associés MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Bouthillette Parizeau BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT Groupe Lessard Inc. INTERIOR DESIGN HUMA design et architecture TOTAL SIZE 699,000 square feet TOTAL COST $216 million

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