Dazzling View of Cityscape: Minimal Penthouse Brings Downtown Montreal Indoors

Designing a posh and exquisite penthouse for a group of students is not often a request that architectural firms are asked to meet. Most refined urban hubs like Penthouse 03 are typically reserved for couples or modern families who want a bird’s eye view of the city in which they reside. But Atelier Pierre Thibault was asked to fashion a smart penthouse in downtown Montreal that not only met the needs of its unique, young clients, but also offered ample storage space and a clear demarcation between private and public areas. The result is a sophisticated setting that brings the glittering cityscape indoors, even while providing unabated views of the iconic Stock Exchange Tower.

Glittering view of downtown Montreal and Stock Exchange Tower from the spacious penthouse living room

The bedrooms are placed on the second floor of the house, with the common areas like the living room, dining space and kitchen placed on the lower level. Both the living area and the dining space enjoy a double-height ceiling, while the kitchen snugly sits below one of the bedrooms on the upper floor. The bedrooms on the top level differ in design from one another, and each of these has its own attached bathroom, while the common home office space and sitting zone occupy the mezzanine floor. With built-in storage units, smart lighting and minimal décor, this is a penthouse that moves away from the usual despite its elegant appeal. [Photography: Ben Meir Ohayon]

Carefully concealed storage space and becnh at the entrance of the Montreal penthouse

Floating wooden staircase connects the lower level living area with the bedrooms

Minimal floating stairway with wooden stairs

Small dining area with glass dining table and acrylic chairs

Spacious kitchen island and breakfast zone in stone and oak

Gorgeous pendant lights add style and dazzling elegance to the kitchen under the bedroom

The space is minimally dressed, white is predominant. The floors are left on the concrete slab. The wood was used to mark certain elements such as the built-in furniture and the interior doors. In order to mark the difference between private and common spaces, the type of wood differs depending on the character of the spaces; oak mainly in the kitchen and the living room, walnut for the bedroom furniture.