Connection Centre for Passengers in Transit at Montréal-Trudeau Airport
As part of the growth and vision for the future of Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, the new transfer centre will improve the travel experience for passengers transiting through Montréal. This dedicated transfer centre separates travellers in transit from passengers arriving at their destination, saving time and providing each group with a separate arrival hall to speed up border control. The inauguration of the first phase took place in December 2019, while the second phase will be delivered at the beginning of 2025. It will consist of demolishing the adjacent temporary facility built to meet demand in 2017 and completing the furbishing of the centre, which will then be fully functional.
Scale
5 400 m²
Completion
2017 — 2020 (Phase 1) — 2025 (Phase 2)
The transfer center is dedicated to transit passengers, who by definition will not be staying in Montreal. This location therefore represents a unique opportunity to leave these passengers with a memorable impression of their short stay in the city. The architectural design was guided by the desire to offer travellers a high quality space, bright and evocative of the culture and northern charm of Montreal, Quebec, and Canada.
The project was designed to integrate harmoniously with the existing building, while distinguishing itself by the special treatment of its facades. Its dimensions make it possible to accommodate a large and growing number of visitors without overshadowing the imposing volume of the arrivals hall, which remains the gateway to the city of Montreal. The building has two floors, which are in contact with both arrivals and departures. All connecting passengers access the center at the intersection of the airport's three jetties, in an open area bathed in natural light, thanks to a large skylight and a generous curtain wall overlooking the aircraft parking lot. Once through customs, they continue on to their next destination, whether domestic, transborder or international.
A transfer center is a place of passage and crossroads leading to a multitude of possible destinations. This function inspired our team to work with a triangular grid where lines intersect, converge or diverge. This dynamic grid is present as a leitmotif in the project, and is expressed in the composition of the envelope and the columns, as well as in the geometry of the skylight. This impressive 23.5 x 13.5 m structure overlooks the area of the automatic inspection kiosks, the heart of the project, where passengers complete the border control process.
The Montreal-Trudeau Airport transfer center is also permeated with the Canadian geographic identity. The façade, a triangular grid of solids and voids, is a reinterpretation of the Canadian shield landscape as seen from the sky, which is characterized by areas of dense forest, rocky outcrops and large bodies of water. Inside, local and Canadian materials have been used, such as Atlantic Black granite on the floor and birch wood, used as wall cladding. Participating in the improvement of thermal comfort and well-being, a green wall is connected to the ventilation system. It maintains a satisfactory level of humidity in the air preheated by a solar wall located on the south façade of the building, a renewable energy source.
This construction provides a bright and relaxing place, which contributes to reducing the stress of transit passengers as they pass through customs, while reflecting the values of sustainability and hospitality that we hold dear.
