Cœur-Nomade Library and Cultural Centre (formerly Ahuntsic-Cartierville–Montréal-Nord Interborough)

The project consists primarily of the construction of a new building to house the Bibliothèque et espace culturel interarrondissement Ahuntsic-Cartierville - Montréal-Nord (Ahuntsic-Cartierville–Montréal-Nord interborough library and cultural space) on Henri-Bourassa Boulevard East, between Oscar Avenue and J.-J.-Garnier Street in the Montréal-North borough, on the outskirts of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. The new building, with approximately 3,900 m² of floor space, will be built on a vacant lot that will also require development.

This multidisciplinary architecture competition is an opportunity to endow the interborough area with a distinctive and innovative civic building, original in design, that will raise the area’s profile and enable it to positively differentiate itself, while meeting design excellence objectives and thus strengthening Montréal’s status as a UNESCO City of Design.

Implementing the Ahuntsic-Cartierville–Montréal-Nord interborough library and cultural space project will, in particular:

• Bridge a gap, enhance quality and complement the comprehensive provision of local library, cultural, social and community services and infrastructure;
• Better reach the area’s vulnerable population segments by leveraging the social role of the library-as-shelter (public, free, open and welcoming) and facilitating social as well as digital inclusion;
• Fulfill certain needs of local professional and amateur artists by providing a cultural performance and arts education venue with adapted equipment and resources;
• Reach the clienteles of the area’s social and community centres and groups by making available to them privileged spaces in which to conduct their activities in optimum conditions;
• Rethink the organization of this type of infrastructure according to a different paradigm from what is typically seen in Montréal.

In short, the competition presents the opportunity to design a space that will bring people together and function simultaneously as a library, arts and culture venue and social and community space, inspired by next-generation libraries, and be fully aligned with the Montréal 2030 Agenda for Quality and Exemplarity in Design and Architecture by following principles of sustainability and placing creativity and innovation at the service of the green and social transition.

The project construction budget is of the order of $20 million, taxes included.

This project competition is:

• A multidisciplinary architecture competition leading to a contract to execute the project;
• Open to competitors from all Canadian provinces and territories, the European Union and its Member States, and the United Kingdom (i.e., a province or territory covered by an intergovernmental agreement on liberalization of public procurements);
• Held in two stages: the first involving submission packages and the second involving service offerings submitted by a maximum of four finalists.

Any team comprising at least the following professionals is eligible to enter the competition:

• Sponsoring architect;
• Co-ordinating architect with at least five years of experience;
• Design architect, PA LEED or PA LEED C+CB, with five years of experience OR Principal design architect with or without LEED agreement, with a minimum of 5 years of experience, assisted by a Design architect PA LEED or PA LEED C+CB, with a mimimum of 5 years of experience; 
• Site supervisor architect with 10 years of experience;
• Civil engineer with five years of experience;
• Structure engineer with five years of experience;
• Mechanical engineer, PA LEED C+CB or PA LEED , with five years of experience;
• Electrical engineer with five years of experience;
• Site supervisor engineer with 10 years of experience.

Teams must be made up of professionals who are members in good standing of their professional orders or national associations governing the right to practise in their respective fields and must be authorized to practise their profession in Québec under the applicable laws.

The jury is the same for both stages of the competition, and comprises the following individuals:

• Marie Désilets, librarian, Section Chief, Division des bibliothèques, Arrondissement Montréal-Nord
• Carmel-Antoine Bessard, Engineer, Ville de Montréal, author and resident of the borough of Montréal-Nord
• Djely Tapa, singer-songwriter and resident of the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville
• Weber Laurent, architect, Groupe Lauvac Architecture
• Maggy Apollon, architect, Maggy Apollon Architecte
• Kim Pariseau, architect, Appareil architecture
• Sergio Morales, architect, Chevalier Morales Architectes

Competitors (Stage 1)
No fees or allowances will be paid at this stage of the competition.

Finalists (Stage 2)
Each finalist who presents a service offering deemed compliant with the Rules will receive a lump sum of $136,820.25, taxes included.

Winner
The maximum amount budgeted for the professional fees to be paid to the winner is of the order of $3.2 million, taxes included (and including the fees paid for Stage 2).

The competition documents (Rules and Program) will be available through the SÉAO electronic tendering system beginning March 29, 2021.

Only submissions from people who have downloaded the documents through the SÉAO system will be considered.

Competitors’ and finalists’ complete submission or service offering dossiers must be received by the following dates:

Stage 1 / Submission packages
May 11, 2021

Stage 2 / Finalists’ service offerings
September 9, 2021

Important: Given the ongoing health crisis, document submissions will be accepted only on the deadline day, between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Montréal time.

All communications must be e-mailed to the competition professional consultant, Michelle Décary, at: @email.

Given the health restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ville de Montréal may be required to amend the competition timetable and the conditions for presentations to the jury depending on the evolution of the situation.