by Yolene Handabaka Ames, published 2026-03-24

The Centre Gadbois occupies a paradoxical place in Montréal’s collective imagination. Built in 1960 as part of the city’s democratization of sport , it has since been transformed through incremental additions, surviving the shadow of the Turcot interchange while serving generations of athletes and citizens. As Montréal reimagined this emblematic facility, the design competition for its renovation and partial reconstruction became more than a technical exercise: it was an inquiry into how memory, landscape, and community can be rewoven into the very fabric of architecture. Thus, the new centre Gadbois would display the heritage elements of the original building, would integrate with the surrounding urban fabric, and would provide the community with improved access to sports and recreation. [...] more