1000 de La Gauchetière

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Le 1000 de La Gauchetière
Le 1000 de La Gauchetière

The (Le) 1000 de La Gauchetière is a skyscraper in the Canadian city of Montreal and the tallest of the city; it is simply named for its address at 1000 de La Gauchetière Street West in the city's downtown. It rises to the maximum height approved by the city (the elevation of Mount Royal) at 205 m (673 ft) and 51 floors.

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[edit] Height

To be precise, the tower is Montreal's tallest if measured to the roof; the 1250 René-Lévesque (IBM-Marathon Building) and the Tour CIBC possess spires that exceed 1000 de La Gauchetière in height, but the buildings themselves are shorter. Also, when viewed as part of the skyline, 1000 de La Gauchetière appears from certain angles to be shorter; this is because it is built on lower ground, allowing it to be taller while still obeying elevation limits.

[edit] History

1000 de La Gauchetière at night
1000 de La Gauchetière at night
Looking up at 1000 de la Gauchetière
Looking up at 1000 de la Gauchetière

The building was designed by Lemay & Associates and Dimakopoulos & Associates architects, and built in 1992 at the same time as the nearby 1250 René-Lévesque which rises at 47 floors. It is an example of Postmodern Architecture, with a distinctive triangular copper roof as well as four copper-capped rotunda entrances at the tower base corners. Those were inspired from the Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral on the north side of the building, following the trend set by Place de la Cathédrale (Tour KPMG) of Montreal skyscrapers borrowing some of their design from that of the nearest church. Also, the semi-spherical corner caps mirror the shape of the half-circular windows of neighbouring Marriott Château Champlain hotel, which were themselves inspired by the arches of the adjoining Windsor Station.

[edit] Construction

Inside, the structural core is of concrete, with steel making up the rest of the floorplates. It is serviced by 22 elevators, and its recessed corners allow up to 12 corner offices per floor. In addition to its office space and shopping areas, it includes a full-size indoor skating rink, a physical fitness center, a major bus terminal (the Downtown Terminus) serving RTL city and commuter buses to Longueuil, Brossard and other South Shore communities, and links to other underground city buildings, Central Station and the Bonaventure metro station.

[edit] Owner

When it was built, 1000 de la Gauchetière was owned jointly by Bell Canada Enterprises and Teleglobe. In 2002, SITQ, a division of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDP Capital), bought the building for $184 million CAD.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Montreal's Tallest
1000 de La Gauchetière - 1250 René-Lévesque - Tour de la Bourse - Place Ville-Marie - Tour CIBC
Montreal landmarks
Buildings Biodome | Biosphère | Bell Centre | Canadian Centre for Architecture | Montreal Casino | Complexe Desjardins | Montreal Forum | Grande Bibliothèque du Québec | Habitat '67 | Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral | McCord Museum | Montreal Science Centre | Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica | Olympic Stadium | Palais des congrès de Montréal | Place des Arts | Place Ville-Marie | Redpath Museum | Saint Joseph's Oratory | Tour de la Bourse | Underground City | World Trade Centre Montreal
Neighbourhoods Chinatown | Old Montreal | Old Port | Quartier international de Montréal
Nature and
Parks
Jardin botanique de Montréal | Mount Royal
Islands Île Bizard | Island of Montreal | Île Notre-Dame | Nuns' Island | Saint Helen's Island
Transportation Montréal-Mirabel International Airport | Montreal Metro | Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport | Windsor Station | Central Station
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