Montreal's Centre Sanaaq library redefines public architecture through collaborative design and acoustic innovation
The newly opened Centre Sanaaq public library in Montreal is situated at the former location of the Montreal Children's Hospital in Cabot Square. Designed by Pelletier de Fontenay, Architecture49, and Atelier Zébulon Perron, this library spans the ground and first floors of a condominium, boasting a performance hall with impressive 6-meter ceiling heights. It offers dedicated spaces for adults, teens, and children, complete with custom furnishings and green mound landscaping. The acoustic design incorporates suspended fabrics and cellulose insulation to enhance sound quality. Constructed with aluminum grating and suspended wooden coffers, the library is named after Mitiarjuk Attasie Nappaaluk's novel, honoring the area's Inuit community. Amenities include a culinary lab, exhibition area, media lab, and versatile rooms.
Key facts
- Centre Sanaaq is a new public library in Montreal's Cabot Square
- Designed by Pelletier de Fontenay with Architecture49 and Atelier Zébulon Perron
- Occupies ground and first levels of a condominium development on former hospital site
- Features 6-meter floor heights to accommodate mandated performance hall
- Includes distinct adult, teenage, and children's areas with custom furniture
- Acoustic design prioritized with suspended fabrics and cellulose insulation
- Named after Mitiarjuk Attasie Nappaaluk's Inuktitut-language novel
- Neighborhood has significant Inuit and unhoused populations
Entities
Artists
- Pelletier de Fontenay
- Atelier Zébulon Perron
- Mitiarjuk Attasie Nappaaluk
- Peter Sealy
- James Brittain
Institutions
- Centre Sanaaq
- Architecture49
- Kuehn Malvezzi
- Montreal Children's Hospital
- Montreal Forum
- University of Toronto
- PHI Contemporary
- Insectarium
Locations
- Montreal
- Canada
- Cabot Square
- Berlin
- Germany
- Quebec
- Toronto