Lemay - New Welcome Pavilion for Saint Joseph's Oratory - A Contemporary Addition to One of Montreal's Most Visited Cultural Sites - Montreal - Canada

2025-12-15

With the unveiling of a new pavilion for Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal designed by Lemay, a new chapter has begun for visitors to Quebec’s most-visited religious and cultural site. This four-storey architectural intervention blends reverence and modernity, offering a seamless connection between the Oratory and its landscape, which welcomes over two million visitors annually.

Since its founding, Saint Joseph’s Oratory has stood as a beacon of faith and contemplation, and a sanctuary where architecture and devotion intersect. This latest addition, part of the site’s ongoing master plan since 2000, marks a profound evolution that embraces both the heritage and a forward-looking vision. From the moment visitors arrive, they are invited into a carefully choreographed sequence of spaces that reinterprets the pilgrimage experience, transforming movement through the site into an act of exploration.

At the heart of this transformation is a striking new bell tower, a vertical landmark housing a 62-bell carillon which forms an experiential and musical instrument of the Oratory, and a symbolic and auditory guide for visitors. Combined with the pavilion, the bells’ decades-long resonant presence, known to echo across Mount Royal, now leads visitors through a multi-sensory immersion: As the chimes resonate, they mark the rhythm of passage—an interplay of sound, light, and materiality that deepens the spiritual journey.

Rooted in the topography of Mount Royal, the pavilion is an organic continuation of the site’s natural flow, reinforcing the ascendant procession of pilgrims, while enhancing universal accessibility. These auditory and environmental contexts influence the tower’s delicate balance of wood and glass, creating an ethereal and contemplative atmosphere, as well as the pavilion’s overall material palette, which draws from the mountain itself for a seamless connection between built and natural forms: Gabion walls, constructed using stone excavated from the site, echo the solidity of the Oratory’s foundation while filtering natural light into the spaces below and evoking the sacred qualities of stained glass. Terraced rooftops unfold like natural plateaus on the landscape, offering breathtaking new perspectives of the dome and the city beyond.

The pavilion’s materiality not only reinforces its dialogue with the mountain, but also aligns with a broader commitment to sustainability characterizing this LEED Silver certified project. Embedded throughout the project, these strategies ensure minimal environmental impact. Paved surfaces have been replaced with green spaces, reducing heat island effects and enhancing biodiversity. High-performance insulation, and energy-efficient lighting and ventilation systems reduce the building’s carbon footprint, while maintaining optimal indoor comfort.

As visitors move through the pavilion, they encounter a series of curated spaces designed to evoke contemplation, engagement, and wonder. The cafeteria, perched high above the landscape, offers panoramic views that invite moments of pause and appreciation. Newly created public squares and sacred gardens encourage quiet reflection, seamlessly integrating with the building’s design. A rhythmic sequence of skylights and illuminated ceilings subtly guides movement, enhancing a natural flow through the space. These openings establish a dynamic relationship between the interior and exterior, revealing fragments of the surrounding context and connecting the building to its history and environment.

Through this new architectural approach to Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Lemay has struck a delicate balance between the integration with a cultural heritage and adaptation to contemporary needs. The pavilion’s luminous design, thoughtful materiality, and a deep reverence for place stands as both a monument and an open threshold, welcoming all who seek contemplation, connection, and discovery.

About Lemay

Since 1957, Lemay has been imagining new ways to create spaces that engage users and bring people together. Over 400 architects, designers, industry leaders, and change-makers work tirelessly to cultivate innovation in their own backyards and in communities around the world. Inspired and strengthened by transdisciplinary creativity, the firm has also developed its very own NET POSITIVETM approach to guide teams towards sustainable solutions that shape a better future. With the people experience at its heart, Lemay strives to design with empathy and to create spaces to grow.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams