Projet Pilote, a unique place in Montreal

Located in the bustling urban district of Plateau-du-Mont-Royal in Montreal, the site lacks the usual characteristics of post-industrial spaces that typically house such a large facility. Therefore, the challenge of ACT's designers in Project Pilote was to accommodate 1200 liter fermentation and service tanks for the microbrewery, grain alcohol distillery tanks with attached reflux still held aloft by an impressive 21-foot-tall column, all while providing sufficient space to accommodate customers

In order to reclaim space for the restaurant and bar portion of the project, the technical equipment is placed on a suspended platform attached to the steel structure. A series of architectural frames enclosed in glass along the platform give rhythm to this walkway, while the selected copper finish accentuates the prominent tanks, overriding the usual clinical appearance of standard stainless steel

Despite the technical complexity of the design and the omnipresence of malting equipment, the usual industrial aesthetic instead celebrates the organic, craft-inspired aspects of the distillation process. Therefore, the inclusion of natural materials and forms such as oak wood, plants, and curves is highlighted throughout the décor. The kitchen and platform with exposed service tanks, as well as the dizzying reflux still, allow the customer to admire the craftsmanship at the heart of the process

The palette of materials offers two zones, looking above or below the horizontal line, separating the areas of production and consumption. Deep blue, forest green, oak wood, velvet, leather and terrazzo were chosen for the bar and restaurant in the lower half of the site. Plants, oak wood, and a light green were chosen for the beer space, invoking a premodernist aesthetic, while the curves and auburn tones of the tanks evoke a more scientific sensibility as if derived from a novel by the visionary Jules Verne