Montreal Rosemont Aquatics Center opens at famed community center.

Opened in 1951 and designed by architect Jean-Julien Perreault, the Rosemont Centre has now added a LEED-gold certified aquatic center to its offerings that already include a library and community center for the dynamic and diversified Montreal neighborhood it sits in the heart of.

Key visual openings connect the users of all the community center activities.

The Rosemont Aquatic Centre expansion includes a semi-Olympic pool, an acclimatization pool and multifunction rooms, turning the site into a cultural, recreational and sports venue, anchored in the daily lives of the citizens it serves. It calls on users to develop lifestyle habits that combine sports and art, thus contributing to the growth of human development within the community.

Designed in collaboration between Montreal-based firms Poirier Fontaine Architectes Inc., Riopel + associés architectes and KANVA, the site promotes an interconnectivity and architectural dialogue between all of its components. Thanks to key visual openings and a fluid, intuitive circulation, one taking swimming lessons at the sports center could discover, by its passage, the multifunction room of the cultural center, for example.

The pool features a wide ramp to allow swimmers with limited mobility to enjoy it as well.

The Rosemont Aquatic Complex also focuses on an inclusive and accessible environment. The universal locker rooms allow for optimal accessibility and facilitate the organization of family trips. They are also adapted for people with disabilities thanks to adapted lockers, a wheel cleaning hose at the entrance of the locker room and an elevator. The pools also have ramps to allow people with limited mobility to fully enjoy the facilities.

The aquatics center offers an inclusive and welcoming environment with adapted lockers available.

As a tribute to the richness of the original Art Deco building, materials were chosen that coordinate with the existing features. With a respectful reinterpretation of the new elements, such as the exterior brick, the rhythm of the windows, and the sunshade motifs, the project is delicately integrated into the existing heritage. Through the use of natural light, energy saving water, renewable geothermal energy, and ventilation that eliminates chlorine particles in the air, the building also becomes an environmentally responsible and educational tool within its community.