Nuns' Island gas station

The filling station, in 2007.
The filling station, closed, in April 2010.

The Nuns' Island gas station was a modernist-style filling station in Montreal built in 1969 from a project of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Closed for several years, it was later converted to a community centre.[1][2]

It was the first gas station on the island, commissioned by Imperial Oil.[3]

Community centre

"La Station" lighting at night

The borough of Verdun transformed the building into a community arts centre, La Station.[4] Eric Gauthier was the lead architect on the project, which saw the two glass pavilions rebuilt to their original 3,000- and 1,000-square-foot (93 m2) sizes.[5]

La Station is a community centre for teens and people over 50 years of age. The two main buildings are called the salle blanche (English: white room) and salle noire (English: black room), after their floor colours. The original glass-enclosed attendant's booth serves as a display case of Mies' and the building's history, with the former fuel dispensers marked by ventilation shafts. The centre uses geothermal energy.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "In Your Neighbourhood: The Mies Van Der Rohe Buildings". City of Montreal. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
  2. ^ Perreaux, Les (January 27, 2009). "The Ritz of gas stations looks for a new life". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  3. ^ "Master architect designs unique station". Montreal Gazette. September 20, 1968. p. 90. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  4. ^ Lejtenyi, Patrick. "Nuns saves Mies". Montreal Mirror. Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
  5. ^ Leblanc, Dave (July 8, 2011). "Mies's Montreal gas station gets new lease on life". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  6. ^ Woolfrey, John (February 24, 2012). "La Station: The Jewel in the Nuns' Island Crown". Openfile Montreal. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013.
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45°27′36″N 73°32′41″W / 45.4601°N 73.5446°W / 45.4601; -73.5446