“We’ve designed many homes that incorporate an elevator. This is the first one where the elevator will be the centerpiece of the home’s design.”
So says Jean-Sébastien Herr, an architect and partner/co-founder of MU Architecture, the Montreal–based firm he started with Charles Côté. With a mix of North American projects and experience from working in Vienna, Barcelona, Spain, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the firm places emphasis on studying signals and trends from technology, nature, and society in order to improve everyday life and bring a new intensity to the built environment.
So, it makes sense that Herr would introduce a shot of technology and intensity to his “interpretation of a Mid-Century Modern house” currently under construction in Montreal: an octagonally shaped, panoramic glass elevator running vertically through the middle of the home.
“Our original plan was to have a traditional elevator in the home. Then the owner suggested the Savaria Vuelift glass elevator, and once we saw it, we knew we had to make it a focal point of the design,” Herr says. “We ended up centering the elevator in the main stair, and on the ground floor it lets out into the foyer of the main entrance. It’s striking.”
With traditional elevators, the aesthetic appeal is typically found inside the cab—in the finishes and materials the passengers enjoy while riding up and down. And, as with other mechanical systems in a house such as plumbing and electrical, the goal is usually to hide the elevator away inside its shaft behind a wall.
“With the Vuelift, you want to put it in a position where it will be seen,” he says. “It’s beautiful both inside and outside. Even the small part of the elevator mechanics that are visible with this unit just adds a touch of industrial chic.”
To provide a backdrop to the lift and visual interest to passengers, Herr and Côté designed a mural for the wall behind the staircase that reveals in stages as the elevator travels from basement to top floor.
“The mural really adds some texture to the architecture. Here is this glass lift with a steel frame, with the mural behind it, and the movement of the lift creates a sense of movement in the mural. They work very well together,” he says.
The glass elevator’s ability to both reflect and dissipate natural light also intrigued Herr and Côté.
“The glass hoistway reflects natural light from windows into other spaces in the home,” Herr says. “It was really interesting to play with layers of glass between the elevator and the staircase around it, and how it affected the light, especially near east-facing windows. We can’t wait to see the final effect in real life.”
The only elevator-based bone of contention between architect and client on the project?
“Charles and I originally wanted the Round model,” Herr laughs. “But once we got hold of the BIM objects of the Vuelift Octagon and started modelling and got deeper into the design of the project, we realized the Octagon is a really architectural shape to work with in a residential project. We were sold from that point on.”
The Montreal home now under construction may have been the firm’s first project using a panoramic elevator, but it’s unlikely to be the last.
“We have another project coming up in Mont-Tremblant, Canada, in prime Quebec ski country. We’re already looking at the possibility of using the Vuelift Mini for that home, because of its small footprint of only 50 inches. It’s exciting to try putting that round elevator inside a spiral staircase.”