From Hospital to Medical Research Hub: How the Montreal Chest Institute Adapts to Modern NeedsPresented by:Save this picture!Terrace Garden between both phases. Image Courtesy of NEUF architect(e)sWith modern medicine, it may be difficult for many people today to imagine the devastation caused by Tuberculosis (TB) just about 100 years ago. Initially associated with insalubrious, overcrowded conditions, just in Canada it caused the death of approximately 8000 people annually in the late 19th century. During this time, before more advanced treatments were discovered, prescriptions from doctors involved sunlight, fresh air, and rest. As a response, sanatoria were established. These were places where patients could be separated from the community to manage their disease. One testament to that legacy stands in the heart of Montreal: the former Royal Edward Laurentian Institute, later known as the Montreal Chest Institute. Born from crisis, it has since become a symbol of resilience, transformation, and innovation, shifting from a space of isolation to a thriving hub for research and entrepreneurship in the life sciences.Tuberculosis was a leading cause of death in Canada in 1867 and killed over 30,000 people in the province of Quebec alone. By 1909, the Royal Edward Institute opened its doors in Belmont Park in Montreal. It was originally established in a residential structure and afterward adapted to serve a vital purpose: study, treat, and prevent the spread of Tuberculosis. As germ theory became better understood, people realized that recovery not only relied on medicine but also on the surrounding environment. Seeking a more restorative environment, in 1933 the Institute relocated to Saint-Urbain Street, next to Mont-Royal, an iconic urban park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.Save this picture!The new building was a purpose-built hospital, designed by architect John S. Archibald in the neo-Georgian style. Its modest architectural elements relied on a careful composition of symmetrical, arched windows, and brick masonry. At the same time, its ideal location allowed the hospital to provide patients with the prescribed light, air, and tranquility. However, as medicine advanced, so did the hospital. In 1952, a modernist tower connected by an overhead bridge was added to accommodate surgical interventions. This expansion reflected both the hospital's cutting-edge status and its expanding role in public health. Related Article Healing Through Design: The Story Behind Alvar Aaltos Paimio Sanatorium By the 1990s, as Montreal restructured its healthcare system, the Chest Institute merged with the Royal Victoria Hospital under the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) umbrella. Eventually, these institutions moved to the new MUHC Glen site in 2015. This move reflected a broader trend toward the development of super-hospitals in the city, which would later continue with the creation of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universit de Montral (CHUM). As a result, the original building on St. Urbain Street remained unoccupied for nearly a decade.Save this picture!Today, the structure is undergoing a transformation that reflects not just a new use, but a new mindset towards the preservation of this building typology. It is being carried out by a partnership between the clinical research lab CellCarta, NEUF architect(e)s, and Quebec-based Inspire Bio-Innovations. The former hospital is being repurposed into a medical research facility and startup incubator. The project is being done in alignment with Quebec's 20222025 Life Sciences Strategy: an initiative aiming to attract $4 billion in private investment and place the province among the world's top five life-sciences markets by 2027.Save this picture!Aligned with provincial strategic goals, the transformation of the Institute contributes to Montreal's position as a leader in North America's biotech and health technology landscape. The Greater Montreal Area has 5.6 million sq. ft. of lab space, half of which is distributed across five hubs: Technoparc Montreal, Nexus 40-13, Royalmount, the Laval Biotech City, and the emerging Downtown hub. The latter will be home to this new life sciences complex, providing an example of how adaptive reuse of heritage healthcare infrastructure can deliver long-term value, both culturally and economically. This project is also hopping on a trend where other developers such as HarveyCorp with NuChem Sciences-Sygnature are not building new facilities but rather converting existing ones into labs, in anticipation of future demand.Save this picture!Save this picture! Hopefully, the lesson here will be that when the building itself is cared for, it can continue to offer a space where the most innovative medical care can be practiced, and cutting-edge research performed. This adaptive re-use is just a shift that allows the urban hospital campus to continue its vocation as a place of science at the foot of the mountain. It still has so much life to offer, we just had to look at it differently. - Azad Chichmanian, architect and partner at NEUF architect(e)s. Save this picture!The Montreal Chest Institute project is divided into two phases: Phase one, currently under construction, is comprised of the readaptation of the 1950s surgical tower to house CellCarta's global headquarters. Phase two consists of the preservation of the 1930s original pavilion, above which five new stories are added taking advantage of views towards the mountain and the city. Both phases will be joined by a glazed atrium which will serve as an arrival, gathering, teaching, and conference space.Save this picture!Save this picture!The design has also achieved international acclaim. At the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore 2024, it was named Future Office: Project of the Year. It also received a WAFX Award for addressing the challenges of tomorrow. The jury recognized the project's innovative reuse of heritage infrastructure, its emphasis on community resilience, and its sustainability-driven design.Save this picture!The evolution of the Montreal Chest Institute reflects a broader shift in how architecture, health, and innovation intersect. Originally designed to support the treatment of tuberculosis, today its redevelopment into a research and innovation hub signals the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches to health and urban renewal. By integrating heritage conservation with cutting-edge technology and infrastructure, the project supports both economic growth and scientific advancement in Quebec's expanding life sciences sector.This feature is part of an ArchDaily series titled AD Narratives, where we share the story behind a selected project, diving into its particularities. Every month, we explore new constructions from around the world, highlighting their story and how they came to be. We also talk to the architects, builders, and community, seeking to underline their personal experiences. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should feature a certain project, please submit your suggestions.This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Building Wellbeing: Designing Spaces for Healing, presented in collaboration with the Hushoffice. With its line of A-class pods Hushoffice helps create acoustically balanced workplaces that offer great environment for collaboration and focus, foster employee wellbeing, and accommodate the needs of neurodiverse staff, as well as employees with motor impairments.Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorMoises CarrascoAuthorCite: Moises Carrasco. "From Hospital to Medical Research Hub: How the Montreal Chest Institute Adapts to Modern Needs" 03 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. 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