Montreal is in the midst of a healthcare building boom. Last year saw the opening of the city’s first mega-hospital, the 2 million-square-foot McGill University Health Centre. This year, an even larger project will be substantially complete. The $1.5 billion, 3.5 million-square-foot University of Montreal Health Centre (CHUM, for Centre Hospitalier de l’Universite de Montreal) will consolidate three hospitals—Hôtel Dieu, Hôpital St.-Luc, and Hôpital Notre-Dame—into three interconnected towers on two downtown city blocks.
Designed by New York–based CannonDesign and local firm NEUF Architect(e)s, CHUM is currently the largest healthcare project under construction in North America. The first phase wraps up this year and includes the main portion of the hospital complex, the clinical ambulatory center, logistics center, pharmacy, laboratories, and underground parking. Phase two, scheduled for completion in 2021, will feature a learning center and library, auditorium, and finalization of the clinical offices.