Hotel Birks

Designed by renowned Montreal architect Edward Maxwell, the Birks building was originally built in 1894 for the Henry Birks & Sons jewellery store. This was one of the first businesses established around Phillips Square, along with Morgan’s department store (now Hudson’s Bay) and Montreal’s first art gallery. The building has since undergone numerous alterations over the years, leading to poor conditions that threatened its preservation. The client purchased the building in 2016 and lead a team of professionals to help realize an ambitious project: to transform and restore this historic building into a luxurious boutique hotel, while preserving the celebrated Birks jewelry store. The design team sought to highlight the remarkable character of the building, while updating its architecture to correct serious deficiencies. Storefront windows that had been replaced or partially obstructed over time were returned to their original conditions. This included relocating an elevator shaft that had been added to the interior of the facade, restoring transparency and visual connection to the square. The upper floors, previously the business’ office space, were converted into 132 hotel rooms. The original plaster mouldings adorning the ceilings were preserved by installing a specialized sprinkler system – necessary to accommodate the building’s new function. When creating the room layouts, existing columns were carefully considered and integrated into the floorplans; each room is thus unique and has its own distinctive quality. A two-storey glass volume now crowns the building – a subtle intervention that respectfully contrasts the richly ornamented façade while evoking the original diamond workshop. Below grade, obsolete mechanical rooms and vaults were converted into a spa. Finally, a new French Brasserie occupies a portion of the ground floor facing the Square. By evoking the past of a business and individual that have both left marks on Montreal’s history, the team successfully reasserts the presence of Edward Maxwell’s iconic Phillips Square landmark. These efforts have ensured the Henry Birks & Sons’ building will continue to stand out in the city’s cultural landscape for generations to come.