in montreal, a new pavilion for saint joseph’s oratory glows behind gabion facades

montreal’s landmark basilica sees a modern intervention

A new pavilion opens on Mount Royal, the highest point in Montreal and home to the landmark basilica Saint Joseph’s Oratory. Designed by architecture practice Lemay, the intervention climbs four stories along the upper slopes of the mountain park. It’s embedded into a wooded landscape and reframes the experience of arrival at one of Quebec’s most visited cultural and religious sites.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory stands at the summit as a spiritual destination and viewpoint. Since it was founded in the early twentieth century, it has evolved through a sequence of chapels and gardens with expansive views over the city.

Designed as part of a long-term master plan initiated in 2000, Lemay’s pavilion continues the site’s layered history with a contemporary design language and textured gabion wall facade. It guides visitors through a sequence of spaces that ascend with the ascent of the mountain.

images © Adrien Williams

a new bell tower over mount royal

In the spirit of Montreal’s nickname as the ‘city of a hundred bell towers,’ the team at Lemay designs a new bell tower as part of its Saint Joseph’s Oratory pavilion. Audible throughout Mount Royal, the 62-bell carillon’s resonant tones mark the time and guide visitors as they move through the complex. The tower’s verticality is balanced by the pavilion’s low, elongated stance. Glass surfaces soften the transition between interior and exterior, while wood introduces warmth at points of pause.

The pavilion engages directly with the geology of Mount Royal through its construction. Gabion walls filled with stone excavated on site line portions of the lower levels, giving the building a tactile density that resonates with the existing masonry of Saint Joseph’s Oratory. Daylight filters through these assemblies, producing a subdued interior glow that shifts with weather and season.

Above, stepped roof terraces follow the natural grade of the terrain. These planted surfaces extend the public realm upward, offering new vantage points toward the basilica dome while easing the building into the slope. The architecture reads as layered rather than monumental, shaped by the contours it occupies.

the new pavilion reshapes the arrival experience at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal

expanded programming for saint joseph’s oratory

Lemay integrates sustainable environmental strategies into the pavilion’s structure and landscape surrounding Saint Joseph’s Oratory. Green roofs replace former paved areas, supporting biodiversity and moderating surface temperatures. High-performance building systems support energy efficiency while maintaining stable interior conditions, contributing to the project’s LEED Silver certification.

Inside, the new space accommodates a range of public functions that support longer visits. A cafeteria positioned high within the volume opens toward expansive views, encouraging rest without interrupting the broader flow of movement. Gardens and exterior courts adjacent to the building provide quieter spaces for reflection, linked directly to interior circulation.

Daylight plays an active role in shaping experience throughout. Skylights and luminous ceiling planes guide circulation and register the passing hours, establishing a subtle rhythm that corresponds with the site’s spiritual dimension.

stone excavated on site is reused in gabion walls throughout the building

terraced roofs extend the landscape and open new views toward the basilica dome

the pavilion follows the natural ascent of Mount Royal and guides visitors upward

a new bell tower introduces a 62-bell carillon audible across Montreal

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project info:

name: Pavilion at Saint Joseph’s Oratory | @osjmr

architect: Lemay | @lemayonline

location: Mount Royal, Montreal, Canada

landscape architecture: Version Paysage | @version.paysage

completion: 2025

photography: © Adrien Williams | @adrianwilliamsnyc

mechanical, electrical engineering: BPA
structural engineering: ELEMA experts-conseils
civil engineering: MHA
vertical transportation consultant: KJA
construction manager: Pomerleau
carillon consultant: Patrick Macoska
exterior lighting: Ombrages