Analog to Digital

In the early 20th century, Montréal’s Paper Hill was a district devoted to all things print and paper, home to pulp mills and paper-manufacturing plants. One of those plants was at 425 Viger Ouest (also known as “the Read building,” although for its developer Cinus G. Read, not for its ties to the printed page). Built in 1912, the stately 10-storey brick and concrete structure was designed by famed architecture firm Ross & MacFarlane. It debuted as Canada’s largest commercial building, encompassing an entire city block, and its classical design is characteristic of the Chicago School, with a tripartite facade, each horizontal section establishing a rhythmic pattern through varied window sizes and decorative masonry.

The property didn’t change much over the decades until Allied acquired it in 2005 and embarked on a mission of modernization and preservation. The building gained a 13-storey concrete extension on its northeast corner and a trio of steel-framed floors atop the original build, all enveloped in glass, complementing the original brickwork and creating a visual harmony between past and present. In 2022, Google chose 425 Viger to house its 300 Montréal employees, from AI researchers to software developers, further cementing its evolution from concrete to steel, paper to digital, past to present.