Description of the attraction
The City Hall, or Montreal City Hall, is the building of the City Hall. The City Hall is located in the historic center of Montreal, on Notre Dame Street, between Jacques Cartier Square and the Field of Mars (the nearest metro station is Field of Mars).
The original town hall was four stories high and was built between 1872 and 1878 by architects Henri-Maris Perrault and Alexander Cooper Hutchison. The building was erected in an architectural style, very popular in the second half of the 19th century, known as the "style of the second empire" or "second empire". In 1922, as a result of a strong fire, the town hall building was thoroughly damaged. Only the outer walls remain from the old building. During the restoration work, which was directed by the architect Louis Parant, the remaining walls were reinforced from the inside with a massive steel structure and an additional floor was added. The new attic floor has been erected in the eclectic Beaux-Arts style. The copper roof replaced the old slate roof. All this significantly changed the general appearance of the town hall, while preserving, nevertheless, the general style.
Today, the City Hall is one of the main and most popular attractions of Old Montreal, attracting a huge number of tourists every year. Various temporary exhibitions are regularly held in the "Hall of Honor" of the Town Hall. The building looks especially impressive at night when the lights are on.
In 1967, French President Charles de Gaulle paid an official visit to Canada. It was from the balcony of the Montreal City Hall that the French president delivered his later criticized speech "Long live free Quebec!"
In 1984, the town hall building was awarded the status of a National Monument of Canada.
