Constructed in 1889 as the largest Methodist church in the country, Saint James survived the lean years of the depression by building a veil of commercial real estate at its front steps. This concealed its neo-Gothic French façade and completely eliminated its public square facing Sainte-Catherine Street. Eighty years later, the veil has been lifted and the church façade restored, breathing new life into the public square. We installed a wall-to-wall herring bone paving of black granite, forming a dramatic stage floor to complement the theatrical red limestone façade. This graphically stunning pavement gives the church a renewed, bold presence in a dense downtown streetscape.