Berlin-based architectural practice Kuehn Malvezzi and Montreal-based firm Pelletier de Fontenay will work as a consortium to realize the design of PHI Contemporary.

The architects will transform four heritage buildings and an adjacent lot, located at the intersection of Bonsecours and Saint-Paul (East) streets in the historic district of Montreal, into a new permanent cultural venue under the banner of PHI Contemporary.

© Kuehn Malvezzi + Pelletier de Fontenay, Visualization: Secchi Smith
On August 26, 2021, PHI launched an International Architecture Competition for the design of PHI Contemporary. The call elicited 65 entries from architectural firms from 14 countries, from which the jury selected 11 to compete. In the second and third stages of the Competition, the jury selected 5 finalists and 2 grand finalists, respectively.  July 15th, 2022 marks the completion of the competition and the commencement of the design phase wherein the winning proposal will be developed.
?At the centre of the new design is our understanding of the institution as an active entity that is being formed in real time, open and in a state of permanent transformation. Conceived as an open landscape rather than a building, the design is a simple and solid framework, a contemporary stage for hosting a wide range of activities,? says Kuehn Malvezzi + Pelletier de Fontenay. 
In response to the desire for more access to PHI?s public cultural offer, a sleek ?public platform? cuts through the ...