henri cleinge designs crew offices and cafe in montreal

what previously was a historic bank has been converted to a 12,000 sqm space to accommodate a tech start-up, café for freelance workers and the public. the co-working space in old montreal addresses the elaborate architectural relationship and the various programs that occupy the single venue.

all images © adrien williams

the crew collective and cafe is designed by locally-based architect henri cleinge. the approach in the context of a heritage building saw the layout being divided to create a flow and possible interactions between the permanent and temporary workers, while implementing co-working in the tech community. the design facilitates this flow by the use of transparent and translucent borders between the various office spaces. the existing bank teller stands dating back from the old royal bank were not to be removed. as a consequence, they were used as a natural border between the café space and the conference rooms, which in turn created a separation between the more public spaces and the permanent workers.

the crew offices is a project defined by a 12,000 office area for a tech start-up which also includes a café

the building which dates back to 1926 still features crafted details that are still in good condition; an inlay marble floor, an ornate painted plaster ceiling along with custom suspended brass light fixtures, as well as other brass elements including the teller stands. henri cleinge balances the need to express, re-use and respect for the heritage building. the discreet intervention reflecting the contemporary identity of the firm to exist.

the new design integrates brass plated steel throughout, fixed to boxy minimal enclosures

the new design integrates brass plated steel throughout, fixed to boxy minimal enclosures, in order to dialogue and contrast to the existing ornate brass elements. the conference rooms which were divided and compartmentalized with linear walls, covered with brass plated steel, and enclosed with glass partitions and a horizontal plane of a ceiling, by coincidence, ended up relating to the paper compartments within the existing free standing stands dating back to the paper days, when deposits were inscribed with pen onto paper.

a complex series of glass walls were erected between the various areas, with a defined access to reflect the degree of
permanency for each worker group