Newtown Restaurant and Bar
Montreal, Canada
Dupuis Le Tourneux Architects

An historic setting hosts a hip place to see and be seen

© Alain LaForest

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

This four-leveled, 18,000-square-foot restaurant sited on a double lot is a refreshing addition to downtown Montreal. The architecture has a clean and contemporary expression with a variety of intimate yet airy spaces catering to drinking, eating, listening to music, people-watching, and enjoying the cityscape.

The project recycles an existing Victorian building with a typical pediment. A second building in an advanced stage of deterioration was mostly demolished but provided additional square footage of usable space. Sensitivity to the history of the site led the architect to design distinct facades on each side of the building. On one side the façade has been articulated to incorporate a Victorian wall. On the other, it is fashioned from stone, metal, glass, and wooden laths combined in a contemporary fashion. The building is set back to create a zone for a street-side terrace and an open stair that descends to a very hip subterranean dance club. The fourth level steps back from the street to create an expansive rooftop patio that evokes a Mediterranean atmosphere.

Newtown’s interior finishes and basic spatial layout and structure are integrated to create a total design environment. The concrete slabs are cantilevered eight feet on two sides to avoid major structural underpinning of the south neighbor and allow an uninterrupted seating area and glass wall on the building’s north side. The exterior brise-soleil is reflected in the use of interior screening devices and in the free-standing structure of the wine storage system that divides the second-story dining room. The result of this consistent design strategy is an understated tone evident on each of the four levels.

Formal name of Project:
Newtown Restaurant and Bar

Location:
Montreal

Gross square footage:
18, 000 sq. ft

Total contruction cost:
$2.25 million

Owner:
Jacques Villeneuve, Craig Pollock, Jean-Pierre Da Costa Li, Martin Poitras

Architect:
Dupuis Le Tourneux Architects