Since 1992, Pointe-à-Callière has been working on a large-scale project to develop a museum complex on the history of Montreal, with underground connections to more than a dozen sites through the William collector, a 357-metre long masonry tunnel, that will showcase both the first foundations of Ville-Marie and the archaeological and historical remains of Pointe-à-Callière. This project primarily targets accessibility and the preservation of Montreal’s 1st settlement, as well as of Fort Ville-Marie (1642), the Château de Callière (1695), the William collector (1832) and St. Anne’s Market, that became the 1st Parliament of the Province of Canada (1832-1849). The Pointe-à-Caillière Museum was built on the very site where Montreal was founded. The project includes the construction of a building and tower on the remains of the former Royal Insurance Co. building, incorporating a 17 m by 40 m, 16 m high multi-level multimedia room, the construction of an archaeological crypt under Place Royale, the restoration and renovation of the Old Customs House, and the restoration and enhancement of the former William sewer.
Mandated for the structural component of the first and second phases of the PFT that ended in 2019, NCK was faced with multiple challenges, including the importance of respecting all of the imperatives related to the archaeological site and the existing heritage structures while meeting the client’s intentions and needs.
For this flagship project delivered for Montreal’s 350th anniversary, NCK provided complete structural engineering consulting services.
