Pop quiz time: What do the following cities—Toronto, Seattle, New York, Chicago, and Montreal—have in common? Not only do they offer locals and visitors eclectic vibes and happening food scenes, but they all offer breathtaking views of their skylines and cityscapes thanks to iconic observation decks.
Toronto’s CN Tower provides a dizzying perspective over Lake Ontario. Seattle’s Space Needle boasts sweeping views of the city. Manhattan’s Empire State Building and One World Observatory grant visitors unforgettable vistas, while Chicago’s Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) features a thrilling glass-floored Skydeck.
Compared to the other observation decks, this Montreal, Quebec, landmark comes in at a modest 65 m (213 ft). However, what it lacks in height goes toe-to-toe with panoramic views and innovation. The Port of Montreal Tower adds an architectural exclamation point to the multi-phased construction completion of Montreal’s 38,090 m2 (410,000 sf) Grand Quay. Designed by Provencher_Roy, the tower invites the public to ascend above the busy port to enjoy a 360-degree vertical visual experience of the St. Lawrence River, Mount Royal, and Montreal cityscape.
For the Port of Montreal Tower, the Alumicor curtain wall team worked directly with the engineers and installers at Vitreco-Flynn, who, in turn, supported the project’s overall objectives.
Vitreco-Flynn engineered the entire project and installed the curtain wall on the Tower. According to André Bélanger, vice president of sales in Quebec for Apogee Enterprises’ Architectural Framing Systems segment and Alumicor products, “They came to us early in the project’s design and knew our products met the specification. Our field-glazed system accommodated the jobsite conditions on an active pier.”
Load-bearing elements
Alumicor ThermaWall 2600 curtain wall frames the clear panoramic vistas from the 1,022 m2 (11,000 sf) glass observation tower and its transparent, cantilevered “cage,” plus views from the expansive surrounding two-level structure.
The curtain wall met all specified requirements for air, water, structural, and thermal performance while helping achieve the intended appearance of the Port of Montreal Tower. An Alumicor curtainwall was also installed on the observation tower’s “cage” feature—a transparent, cantilevered box offering views of the Grad Quay, St. Lawrence River, Mount Royal, and Montreal cityscape.
Architects Provencher_Roy explain, “The prestressed concrete used for the vertical load-bearing elements supports the imposing cantilevers of the steel structure.”
The Tower was designed to intentionally present a cohesive appearance with the other port structures and renovated cruise ship terminal while serving as a new, unique landmark in its own right. Provencher_Roy specified “high-quality materials” for the high-profile, high-performance building envelope, including the curtain wall.
The curtainwall was also customized to meet the Tower’s performance and installation requirements. Bélanger says, “The Tower podium is a four-sided structural silicone glazed (SSG) system, and all the floors are capped. We developed a custom T-shaped cap, corner mullion, and thermal break to adapt to the corner design concept.”
Teamwork made the tower work
As standard, the curtainwall offers thermally broken aluminum framing to meet challenging climates. The polyamide thermal break and proprietary gasket provide improved U-values that contribute to the building’s energy efficiency and condensation resistance and the comfort and well-being of the Tower’s visitors. Alumicor project manager Maxime Allain and product specialist Julian Blaise provided the technical expertise, working closely with the Alumicor production team and client partners. More than 30 specialty contractors and over 1,000 people worked on this flagship project.
In situ testing
Among the project’s challenges, Provencher_Roy listed “construction on a pier with limited access and on backfilled soil with deep bedrock, conservation of the space for tourists, the arrival of cruise ships, accommodating events and minimal disruption of port operations.” A wind tunnel study and in situ tests were performed throughout the sequenced phases of curtain wall installation. Provencher_Roy says, “Informed by the project’s wind tunnel study, the structure was designed to attain the highest possible standards. The addition of a damping mass further enhances comfort for users of the Tower.”
The building design team’s engineer-of-record determines the wind loads for the specific project and applicable codes. Lateral wind forces are the primary live loads affecting the structural integrity of a curtain wall system.
Vitreco-Flynn installed Alumicor ThermaWall 2600 system on the Tower’s walls and on the protruding “cage” view box with its glass floor and ceiling. The curtain wall’s aluminum framing was finished by Linetec in a clear anodize, meeting the stringent guidelines and rigorous performance standards of AAMA 611, Class I specification. The metallic appearance emphasizes a modern aesthetic with an industrial heritage.
Aluminum’s natural beauty
According to Tammy Schroeder, director of marketing for Apogee Enterprises’ Architectural Framing Systems segment including Linetec and Alumicor brands, the clear anodize showcases the natural beauty of aluminum. The anodized aluminum presents a sleek look with a matte finish, balancing reflectivity and shine. The resulting appearance often is reminiscent of mid-century modern industrial designs and often associated with a futuristic aesthetic.
As curtain wall and other framing systems have both an exterior and interior surface, these extremely hard and durable anodized finishes are ideal for high-traffic, high-touch applications. They meet the highest performance standards, making them suitable for challenging climates and conditions and providing easy-to-maintain interior surfaces. Schroeder says that, unlike painted coatings, anodized finishes are an integral part of the aluminum substrate. Similarly, the port and its industrial heritage have an inseparable connection to metal, as seen in its docks, buildings, ships, and containers.
Provencher_Roy described its mission to transform the Old Port of Montreal by “breathing new life into an outdated port installation. …It is the Tower’s duty to pay homage to the site as keeper of the traces of a rich industrial past. This duty is manifest in the rigorous concrete and steel structure, and compact pragmatic volumetry of the Tower.”