As part of the $200-million revitalization of the Place Ville Marie Esplanade, Montreal foodies will soon enjoy a brand-new concept: A gourmet biergarten in the heart of downtown Montreal, Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten. Imagined by Sid Lee Architecture and A5 Hospitality, and executed by Sid Lee Architecture | Menkes Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architects in consortium, Le Carthcart Restaurants et Biergarten will open at Place Ville Marie in late 2019.

Seven days a week, all year round, Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will be the place where Place Ville Marie’s business people, the Montreal community, foodies, tourists and culture lovers will gather to eat, have a drink or simply enjoy time with friends. Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will quickly become a destination of choice for business lunches, happy hours and festive evenings.

The 35,000-square-foot (3,252-square-metre) space will come to life under the future glass pavilion of the Place Ville Marie Esplanade. It will offer seating for more than a thousand people with 15 unique restaurant concepts, such as resto-bars, bistros and cafés, including three restaurants with table service. A wide variety of wines and cocktails, along with an impressive selection of local beers, all carefully chosen by renowned mixologists and sommeliers, will also be on offer. With highly skilled chefs from Montreal’s culinary scene, including Antonio Park, Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will offer an immersive gourmet experience while fulfilling a social and cultural vocation. The site will also have a multifunctional space featuring an appealing program with one-of-a-kind events.

In the spirit of the biergarten, the space will have a convivial atmosphere inspired by the fresh, bright and spacious interior garden. It will be the venue for major celebrations open to all. As a lively urban square in the heart of a busy district with festive terraces, Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will echo Montreal’s lively street vibe, acting as a true indoor extension of the city.

“We want to celebrate Place Ville Marie’s central location by creating a unique point of access to the underground city,” said Jean Pelland, Architect and Senior Partner at Sid Lee Architecture. “The glass pavilion is an ideal setting for the interior garden, a space bathed in natural light and filled with greenery, where gourmet and festive gatherings will take place.”

“This project stems from our desire to constantly renew the client experience and deliver the most unique and appealing entertainment offering to our clienteles, while contributing to Montreal’s social and cultural development,” said Alex Besnard, co-founder of A5 Hospitality. “Our collaboration with Sid Lee Architecture was a natural alliance, given our common objective of developing an innovative concept where the environment – atmosphere and design – is as important as the quality of the food. Thanks to the high quality and originality of the proposed service, we are proud to offer a new key venue in Montreal,” Mr. Besnard added.

“We’re delighted to be working with Quebec entrepreneurs to offer a whole new gastronomic experience at Place Ville Marie,” added Bernard Poliquin, Senior Vice President, Office, Quebec, at Ivanhoé Cambridge. “Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten will become a place of choice for business networking in downtown Montreal.”

Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten is part of the Place Ville Marie Esplanade revitalization project, which is the cornerstone of Projet Nouveau Centre, Ivanhoé Cambridge’s plan to invest more than $1 billion in downtown Montreal.

About Sid Lee Architecture

Sid Lee Architecture, founded in 2009, is run by Jean Pelland and Martin Leblanc, Architects and Senior Partners. Since 2015, Sid Lee Architecture has been part of Kyu, a new collective of creative businesses established by Hakuhodo DY Holdings, the second-largest network of agencies in Asia.

Sid Lee Architecture is overseeing several projects involving the repositioning of modern heritage buildings in Montreal’s business district. The firm recently collaborated with Ivanhoé Cambridge on the Projet Nouveau Centre action plan, after which major renovation projects were assigned to the team. The projects include the transformation of the emblematic Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel and the creation of the C2 Space on its rooftop. As for Place Ville Marie, Sid Lee Architecture is involved in multiple renovation assignments, including Au Sommet Place Ville Marie, the Esplanade, the Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten and the shopping concourse, as well as the development of Sid Lee’s new headquarters.
 

About Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes

Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes is one of the largest architectural and design firms in Canada. It carries out institutional, corporate, cultural and residential projects, and is a reference in terms of design, project realization and management.

Backed by an experienced team of more than 110 professionals, Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes is renowned for its commitment to excellence and its ability to conceive creative and innovative architectural solutions. Over the years, the firm has redefined major institutional, cultural and commercial spaces. The Place Ville Marie revitalization project adds to its many achievements in the heart of Montreal: Maison Manuvie, the YUL condominiums, the Espace culturel George-Émile-Lapalme at Place des Arts, The Laurent & Clark and the Maison du développement durable. Beyond its recognition for distinctive and quality architecture, Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes creates innovative environments that promote the well-being of individuals and community alike and reaffirm identity and connection to the built environment.

About A5 Hospitality

A Montreal-based company and a key player in the entertainment and restaurant industries for more than 15 years, A5 Hospitality specializes in the creation and operation of bars and restaurants located mainly in Greater Montreal. With 17 renowned establishments (Jatoba, Kampaï Garden, Madame Bovary, Flyjin and many others), the Company, founded by Alexandre Besnard and Patrick Hétu, counts more than a thousand employees and 1.8 million visitors every year. A5 Hospitality stands out in the industry with its unique and diverse product offering, from a high-end Japanese restaurant to large-scale entertainment projects.  The constantly growing Company employs more than a hundred passionate professionals who offer various areas of expertise while focusing on collaboration in order to offer a high-level experience to clients.

About Place Ville Marie

Place Ville Marie, owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, enjoys an exceptional reputation and an unbeatable location in the heart of downtown Montreal. The complex is an architectural jewel, designed by I.M. Pei and Henry N. Cobb, with a total surface area of more than three million square feet. It offers innovative and ingenious office space where the best companies flourish and shape the future. The Place Ville Marie Esplanade is undergoing an ambitious revitalization to create one of Montreal’s major urban gathering places. This new environment will offer cultural programs and experiential activities on par with those found in other major international cities. 

Data sheet:

Client: Ivanhoé Cambridge

Concept: Sid Lee Architecture & A5 Hospitality

Architectural & Interior Design execution: Sid Lee Architecture | Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architects, in consortium

F&B Concept & Operation : A5 Hospitality

Media Contacts:

Sid Lee Architecture

v2com – Pénélope Fortin

[email protected]

+1 514-845-1188

A5 Hospitality

Marianik – Marie-Annick Boisvert

[email protected]

+1 514-232-7640

Ivanhoé Cambridge/Place Ville Marie

Marie Létourneau

[email protected]

+1 514-616-3549

Affaires publiques d’Ivanhoé Cambridge

Ligne médias : +1 866 456-3342

[email protected]