MONTREAL -- From atop of Place Ville Marie (PVM), patrons of Hiatus restaurant can take in a panoramic view of Montreal from river to mountains and beyond.

The high-end café, bar and observatory occupies the 45th and 46th floors of PVM 1, which was built in 1962 as the Royal Bank of Canada. Sid Lee Architecture designed Hiatus’ interior working with AS Hospitality and local artisans including Atelier Vaste, a manufacturer of custom furniture and millwork.

Hiatus honors and builds upon PVM’s international design legacy. To evoke this meeting of history and modernity, Sid Lee Architecture revisited the mid-century modern movement with a keen eye for the “now,” updating the era’s signatures — wood paneling, reflective surfaces, and tubular metal accents — with contemporary elements, like playful iridescent finishes, graphic floral patterns, and colorful stonework. 

As guests step off the main elevator into the 43rd floor service hallway, they are greeted by an opulent wall-to-wall mirror. Circular cutouts in the vibrant patterned curtain artfully dress this large reflective surface, offering guests a self-portrait moment as they wait for the second elevator to lead them to Hiatus. This liminal space also features the same essence of red oak displayed on the upper floors, giving guests a taste of what’s waiting for them above.

Sid Lee Architecture transformed PVM’s 45th floor, originally constructed as a mechanical room, into a “speakeasy” experience. Here, mirrored mullions, banquettes upholstered in celeste color leather, and Lambert & Fils custom table lamps, nod to the building’s modernist heritage, while a floral carpet lends a fresh burst of color and pattern.

A blackened staircase leads guests from the 45th to the 46th floor. Compared to the calm and compact atmosphere of the 45th, the 46th floor features vaulted ceilings and full windows. This ambiance is complemented by an array of lighting fixtures, custom designed in collaboration with Lambert & Fils. A series of wall sconces, some rendered in acrylic, and others in tumbled aluminum, emulate the texture of PVM’s façade.

Throughout the restaurant, red oak Nord tables and chairs upholstered in black leather, designed with Atelier Vaste, harken back to the building’s 1960s origins and partner with more contemporary details like Mystic Brown and Rainforest Green marble tabletops. In the dining room, two-thirds of the walls are finished in the same wood essence as the furniture, while their lower section is adorned in flamed Pietra Royal limestone.