BMO PLACE BONAVENTURE
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE PROJECT
- Area: 63,300 sq ft
- Interior designer: Cléo Katcho
- City: Montreal
- Project type: Renovation
- Photographe: Emy Tougas
The BMO Place Bonaventure project involved modernizing a very large space, mainly composed of offices and used exclusively by employees. It had two main constraints: to provide spaces that would encourage interaction between employees and to integrate adequate lighting and warmth into a dark, brutalist-style building.
The spaces already accessible to BMO Place Bonaventure employees were underused, and the employer wanted to strengthen employees’ sense of belonging and unity through gathering spaces.
The design of a café-work space (connection café) where employees could not only eat, but also work in a more informal setting and socialize, generated real enthusiasm on their part. The addition of a variety of seating areas (benches, collaboration corners, lounge areas), allowing this space to be used for different purposes, contributed to its success.
A chic lounge with multiple possible atmospheres thanks to numerous lighting features has also replaced a space that was once rather gloomy and cold, and rarely used by staff.
A lot of work went into making the two corridors interesting. The first was better defined by suspended panels that created a spatial transition with the adjacent office spaces. The second was embellished with visual material reflecting the bank’s values, which helped to give rhythm to this very long fire corridor. In addition, the choice of slender lighting fixtures gives it direction.
The BMO Place Bonaventure project was a true flagship project, helping to establish new standards for the bank. In fact, the success of the connection café led to the concept being replicated in all BMO office spaces across Canada. The inclusion of many architectural elements, access to connectivity throughout the premises, and the design of spaces for exchange and collaboration all contributed to the creation of a user-friendly work environment that reflects the bank’s image, promotes employee well-being, and, as a result, increases productivity.