New MARCUS restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Montreal

To breathe new life into its prestigious address on rue de la Montagne, The Four Seasons Hotel Montreal partnered with celebrated Montreal design firm Atelier Zébulon Perron, which for the past 10 years has created some of Montreal’s most engaging and compelling spaces.

Known for designs that reflect his clients’ personalities, Zébulon Perron has devised a space that embodies the singular vision of its partners, Carbonleo, Four Seasons Hotel Montreal and celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, refined yet organic design with a focus on social ergonomics. The result is MARCUS, a fusion of design and experience based on social ergonomics and contemporary taste.

MARCUS offers immersive spaces that are sophisticated yet approachable. They are inspired by circadian rhythms in which each moment is designed to be a novel, one-of-a-kind experience for hotel guests and Montrealers alike—from the floating velvet bench in the lounge, to the prismatic lighting cast by the crystal wall, to the leather banquettes in the restaurant and the terrace’s sun-drenched tables overlooking the city.

For The Four Seasons Hotel Montreal, Atelier Zébulon Perron helped develop a new concept, the Social Square. This sprawling third-floor space represents the city’s characteristic social ecosystem, where both hotel guests and locals are welcomed to eat, drink, and experience the hotel’s unique luxury ecosystem. The Social Square encompasses both the hotel’s lobby as well as MARCUS, a lounge, bar, restaurant and terrace concept by Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson. No matter from where they arrive—whether from the hotel, from the street, or the adjoining Holt Renfrew Ogilvy luxury department store—visitors can always access MARCUS, a space completely integrated into the ethos of the hotel, the neighborhood, and the city.

The lounge, bar, restaurant and terrace of MARCUS represent four distinct worlds that overlap and complement each other, while each seamlessly blends into the hotel’s contemporary architecture. In a reference to chef Samuelsson’s seafood creations, the lounge suggests a theme reminiscent of the ocean. In contrast, the bar gives the impression of being in an enchanted forest, offering an exclusive, intimate experience. The restaurant’s charm lies in its combination of opposites, balancing elegance and warmth with minimalism and modernity.

From acoustics, to lighting, to ergonomics and scale, no detail has been overlooked—everything from the positioning of the furniture to the ceiling heights is treated as an opportunity to encourage interaction. The project was driven by a desire for durability and timelessness, as shown by the choice of colors and premium materials including marble, brass, white oak and velvet.

Atelier Zébulon Perron played with volumes and materials to create an unforgettable interior that manifests a social, sensory experience. But most importantly—from the crab in its glass cube that greets visitors in the foyer, to the display of seafood delicacies and the luxurious cold room at the restaurant’s entrance, the designers remind us that at MARCUS, it is ultimately the cuisine of chef Marcus Samuelsson that still takes center stage.

Technical sheet

Materials: marble, terrazzo, brass, prismatic glass, white oak, velvet

Project Name: MARCUS

Project Site: 1440 Rue de la Montagne – 3rd floor, Montreal, QC H3G 1Z5

Surface area: 855 m2 (9203 sq ft)

Project type: Lounge, Restaurant, Bar, Terrace

Construction: Carbonleo

Design: Atelier Zébulon Perron

Lead designer: Zébulon Perron

Team:

Zébulon Perron

Michael Hall

Andréanne Guillemette

Zoë Mowat

Adam Robinson

Mathieu Belen

Tony Lemoignan

Sabrina Camiré

Samuel Casaubon

Audrey Dasilva

Diane Lefrancois

Bahia Haddam

Daniel Cordeiro

Gabrielle Rousseau

Valérie Picard

Sophie Couillard

Caitlin Nolin

Nathalie Boulerice

Anik Mandalian

Catherine Landry

Photographer: Olivier Blouin

Completion: May 2018

About Atelier Zébulon Perron

Founded in 2008, Atelier Zébulon Perron offers interior design services principally in the commercial sector. The privileged and distinct approach for Zébulon and his team resides in understanding interior design as a tool for a fulfilling client experience, where visitors can quickly feel comfortable and at ease within minutes of entering a new space. Atelier Zébulon Perron sees in each project an opportunity to design a unique interior which connects to its users. Creator of numerous projects ranging in their sizes, the Atelier invests in listening to their clients’ needs to ultimately bring together aesthetics, design, and commercial success.

About Montreal

Montreal is a spirited and complex mix of contrasts that completely defies comparison. Four Seasons Hotel Montreal is uniquely situated in the vibrant, bustling Golden Square Mile neighborhood, in the heart of downtown. Surrounded by luxury boutiques, hotels, restaurants and cafes, the Four seasons Hotel Montreal is at the heart of a truly unique city. This is the place to experience cultural diversity at its best. Montreal feels like a European city in North America, and the French influence is everywhere; the wine, the food, the focus on style and that irrepressible French “joie de vivre”

Few cities can compete with Montreal’s mouth-watering mix of food, festivals and culture. Named a UNESCO City of Design, Montreal is one of the only three cities in the worked to have this special and well-deserved designation. From the pavilions of Expo 67, to the cobbled streets of Old Montreal, the city is a veritable treasure trove of architecture and Design. Once known as the industrial and financial centre of Canada, the factories, warehouses, mills and refineries serve as a lasting legacy of historic and architectural interest. But Montreal is a living city that constantly reinvents itself, adding layers of new over the old in a way that is truly unique.

Montreal has a thriving arts and entertainment scene, with many festivals held there every year, animating and energizing the downtown area.

Despite its modest size, the city is a foodie paradise with exceptional restaurants and bars, beautiful rooftops and hidden courtyards where one can relax after a day of shopping or sightseeing, enjoy a glass of wine and indulge in the art of people watching.

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