The 21st

Located in Old Montreal a few steps from Griffintown, the 21st arrondissement is a residential and commercial construction project developed by Prével and designed by Geauvreau. The land, developed to promote a true neighborhood life of its own with a European ambience, comprises 4 buildings encompassing about 500 condos which are articulated around a public square animated by small shops. Visual Home was entrusted with the task of creating wall coverings and all signage elements of this ambitious complex.

Client

Prével

Architects / Designers

Gauvreau Design

Project

Interior signage for a condo complex

Deliverables

Historic wall: steel case with baked enamel 

Wall and ceiling signage: hot rolled steel cases, LED lighting & lyophilized lichen 

The client wanted to cover the walls with metal panels juxtaposed and folded so that they extend to the ceiling. Since the design firm was not in a position to tell us what to do, we had to think about the technical aspects involved in installing the pieces.

Moreover, we quickly realized that the client did not have a sufficient budget for the metal proposed by the design team, namely painted aluminum. One of the main challenges was to find a more economical alternative without sacrificing the quality and style sought.

We sat down with the designers to suggest using hardened steel with a special treatment, a solution allowing to fit the budget and proving to be even more visually interesting than the initial request. We knew that the tempered steel would offer an astonishing and sophisticated look, with a tone-on-tone effect in shades of blue. The treatment applied resulted in an exceptional finish, chic and raw at the same time.

The designers wanted the wall panels to be glued side by side, but the problem is that a wall is never totally straight, even if it is not visible to the naked eye. We have therefore suggested creating spacings to overcome this reality and give the impression of a perfect wall. This is just one example of proactive advices that we give to avoid ending up with apparent defects and ensuring the success of projects.