Complexe Les Ailes
Complexe Les Ailes is a shopping center located in downtown Montreal, at 677, Sainte-Catherine Street West, corner of University Street. The 11 floors multipurpose property houses an office component of 550,000 square feet (51,000 m2) known under the name 1500 University on the upper floors, as well as a retail gallery of 225,000 square feet (20,900 m2) with more than 60 stores on its three first floors.
Complexe Les Ailes is visited by over 11 million shoppers every year. It has direct access to Montreal’s “underground city” and the McGill metro station. Along with Place Montreal Trust and the Montreal Eaton Centre, Complexe Les Ailes constitute Ivanhoe Cambridge's self-branded Sh3pping trio of shopping malls.[1]
A bronze statue of hockey player Maurice Richard and a three floors high tableau made by fine arts enamel painter Bernard Séguin Poirier are at Complexe Les Ailes.
History
Designed by the firm Ross and Macdonald and constructed in 1925, this property – known at the time as the Eaton's building – was home to Montreal’s largest department store for decades and was expanded twice during the years. First, in 1930-1931, three floors were added and the Eaton's Ninth Floor, an Art Deco design inspired by the dining room of the famous Île-de-France boat, was created following Jacques Carlu architect plans. Second, in 1958-1959, the building was expanded toward de Maisonneuve Boulevard. In 1967, a new development, in the form of an underground link to the city’s newly constructed subway line, via the McGill metro station, was introduced to the Eaton's building.
In 1999, Ivanhoe Cambridge acquired the property following the closure of the Eaton’s chain. After considerable redevelopment work between 2000 and 2002, including gutting and complete redesign of the interior, this flagship of the Montreal retail scene was transformed into the building now known as Complexe Les Ailes & 1500 University.
Tenants
Les Ailes de la Mode store is the centre's main retailer which occupies one third of the total area. Boutiques such as Forever 21, SAQ Signature, Tommy Hilfiger, Orchestra, New Balance, m0851, Swarovski and located in three levels of shopping space.
In its opening, the shopping mall housed several retailers including Lacoste, Jacob, Guess, Costa Blanca, La Senza and Archambault. As Les Ailes de la Mode began shifting into a discount store, visits to the mall decreased which caused all of these stores to close or relocate. Other boutiques such as Tommy Hilfiger, Swarovski, SAQ Sélection, Fruits & Passion, m0851 and Bedo have remained loyal to the mall since its inauguration. But its vacancy rate is relatively high, with more than half the retail spaces on the third floor being unused.
Forever 21 took the former space of Archambault in 2009 for the first Forever 21 store in Quebec. In June 2012, Sephora opened its flagship boutique in the former spaces of Jacob and Guess.
See also
- List of malls in Montreal
References
- ↑ "Sh3pping". Ivanhoe Cambridge. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
External links
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