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Because History repeats itself...
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Eaton’s 9th floor restaurant
700 St. Catherine Street West
Architectural Value
The 9th floor of the former Eaton’s department store and its restaurant constitute a significant and remarkably intact example of Art Deco interior architecture. Its unique design and decoration is evocative of that of the great ocean liners of the era.
Historic Value
In the collective memory of Montrealers, the 9th floor restaurant is remembered as part of the era of the great downtown department stores. Legend has it that this restaurant was modelled after the Île de France ocean liner but the reality is that many architects at the time were inspired by naval structures and forms, creating the Streamlined Moderne style. The French architect who designed the 9th floor restaurant – Jacques Carlu (1890-1976), who also designed the Palais de Chaillot in Paris – was engaged by the Eaton department stores in both Montreal and Toronto and was also active in the United States.
The Threat
The transformation of the old Eaton’s department store into a shopping mall included the demolition of the kitchen of the 9th Floor Restaurant, although some of the original equipment was salvaged and placed in storage. Currently, this magnificent space has been mothballed by the owner under the watchful eye of Quebec’s Minister of Culture and Communications. However, each passing year means that the memory of the restaurant fades a little more, which could in the medium term threaten the conservation of the site and deprive Montrealers of a very special place.
Initiatives of Héritage Montréal
Further to Heritage Montreal’s request, following the bankruptcy of Eaton’s , the Art Deco restaurant on the 9th floor was classified as a historic monument by the Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications, the only authority able to protect interior heritage spaces in Québec. Since then, Heritage Montreal has concentrated its efforts on maintaining the owners’ and authorities’ interest in order for resources to be invested in bringing this extraordinary heritage site back to life and accessible to the public.
To help safeguard this site, write to us.
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