Église Saint-Jacques – Bell Tower Restoration Project
(Montreal, QC)
Awarded to:
Daniel Durand, (DFS Inc. architecture & design)
Pascal Létourneau, (DFS Inc. architecture & design)
Classified as a historical monument in 1973, and then incorporated into the UQAM campus, the Saint-Jacques bell tower still holds great interest from a heritage and urban design perspective. Construction dates to 1857; it was completed in 1876. Severely deteriorated and long isolated from the Rue St-Denis urban area, all 85 metres of the bell tower were fully restored over the last two-and-a-half years (July 2017 –January 2020). In the course of the work, many artisans learned and perfected ancestral work methods. The scope of work involved preserving and restoring masonry, windows, main portal, spire roof, bell system, replacement of the flashing, sprinklers and architectural lighting system. The restoration approach was to take action to put the entire bell tower in good condition, limiting further intervention to maintenance work. The Standards and Guidelines served to guide the type of intervention selected, regardless of whether a conservation, rehabilitation or restoration situation was involved.