2-22

Part cultural hub, part urban reset button, The 2-22 was built to reassert Saint-Laurent Boulevard’s role in Montreal’s creative core. Designed by Aedifica with architect Gilles Huot and lit by Moment Factory, the glass-and-steel building anchors the Quartier des spectacles at Sainte-Catherine Street with six storeys of visual arts organizations, media outlets, and public programming. What sets it apart—beyond its bold, theatrical glow—is the ownership model: seven cultural organizations were able to buy into the space thanks to an innovative funding structure, a rare feat in a rapidly gentrifying downtown. Since opening in 2011, the LEED-certified building has stood as both a literal and symbolic beacon for the arts, kickstarting a new chapter for the lower Main.