The New Vic of McGill University is a revitalization project of the old Royal Victoria Hospital, vacant since 2015, into a new and innovative campus learning center for McGill. Adjacent to the site is the famous Mount Royal Park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1872. Historically, the hospital was sited on the southern flank of Mount Royal Park to benefit of the fresh air, woodlands and views similar to many institutions around the mountain.
The design borrows many principles from Olsmted’s original intents for Mount Royal Park and later for the hospital itself. A grassy knoll which is an extension of Olmsted’s Cote Placide is proposed to create a continuous surface and an attractive frontage for historical pavilions A, E, and L. On these slopes, steps, accessible paths, and a transparent circular entrance pavilion are proposed. Other improvements such as a stepped entrance plaza, a reinterpretation of the historical circular wall, and a widening of adjacent streets all partake to realizing a connected campus fabric. Permeability between city and mountain, timeless design features, and visual cues all coalesce to create a unique vision for this part of campus.
