Lofts Irène

In the evening on rue Irène, the facade changes its mood. Behind a curtain of perforated aluminum, shutters are open here and closed there, and every lit window draws a different pattern. The residents are the ones moving that curtain.

The base dates from 1938. A two-storey brick industrial building, with decorative pilasters and ornamental masonry, built by the Railway and Power Engineering Corporation according to the project's architects. In 2012, the Montreal firm KANVA restored it and set three lighter contemporary storeys on top, wrapped in aluminum panels punched with three sizes of holes. Old and new answer each other without imitating each other. In 2013, the project received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Award of Excellence for Innovation in Architecture.

Inside, a little over 70 lofts range from 442 sq ft to 1,210 sq ft, under ceilings of about 9 feet, up to 10 feet depending on the unit. In several units the windows run right down to the floor, and the perforated panels filter the southern sun like a blind you adjust by hand. On the top floor, two-level penthouses open onto a private terrace. On the ground floor, some units open directly onto the inner courtyard.

That courtyard is where the outdoor pool waits. Up on the roof, a shared terrace with barbecues looks out over downtown and Mount Royal, and a common loft with a kitchen can be booked for hosting.

Outside is Saint-Henri. Place-Saint-Henri station is a 6-minute walk, Lionel-Groulx a 7-minute walk. Rue Notre-Dame and its cafés are steps away, with Atwater Market and the Lachine Canal bike path a few streets over.

Lofts Irène speaks to people who like architecture that takes risks, and who want a first loft in a lively neighbourhood.

Every loft has a story. Lofts Irène's is written between 1938 brick and an aluminum curtain. Our job is to help you find the one that becomes yours. Olivier Mailloux and Amélie Flanagan, real estate brokers, follow the Saint-Henri market closely and work with buyers and sellers across Montreal.