L'Espace Rodier

ESPACE RODIER

OFFER A PLACE TO
GATHER
+

BUILD A CULTURAL & CREATIVE
entrepreneurial community

An icon of Montreal architecture, Espace Rodier is a hub operated by La Piscine in the Griffintown area. Its mission is to build and catalyze a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and to promote creative, cultural and impactful businesses in Montreal and beyond.

This ecosystem is anchored here in a physical location, around a sustainable vision of culture for growth, longevity and influence, through direct spinoff effects on the local economy and the visibility of products and know-how on the international stage.

To this end, Espace Rodier welcomes and brings together entrepreneurs, creators, students and partners from a wide range of backgrounds and sectors:

l’art numérique, interactif et immersif,

l’art de la scène et festival,

l’audiovisuel

digital, interactive and immersive art,

performing arts and festivals,

audiovisual,

literary publishing,

video games,

fashion and crafts,

design and architecture,

music,

audio production and sound effects,

and creative services.

HistoRY

1890

BAnQ

1900

BAnQ

1927

City of Montréal Archives

1970

Photographed by David Wallace

1975

City of Montréal Archives

Espace Rodier is built on the unceded aboriginal territory of Tiohtià:ke, traditionally known as a gathering place for many First Nations. As an organization committed to promoting Quebec’s culture and creativity, we recognize the invaluable contributions of Aboriginal people and their traditional know-how in innovation, creation, inclusion and resilience.

An icon of Montreal architecture, the building was constructed in 1895 by Charles Séraphin Rodier Jr.

The building is best known to Montrealers as the home of Baron Sports from 1965 until its closure in 2010.

Built in the Flatiron style, it is historically the third such building in the world, 27 years before the most famous of them all, New York’s Flatiron.

À l’origine du projet de l’Espace Rodier, un véritable coup de foudre pour cet emblème patrimonial de Griffintown, et surtout une rencontre entre La Piscine et Georges Coulombe, gestionnaire immobilier et passionné de culture et de patrimoine.

Having become the building’s owner, the City of Montreal launched a call for projects in 2017, which was won by La Piscine and Gestion Georges Coulombe. The condition imposed? To turn the Rodier into a place for networking with high creative potential.

The work is guided by a constant concern: to preserve as many original details as possible.

A unique hub of creativity, Espace Rodier attracts visitors to the building’s vibrant, dynamic environment. It is the physical activation of the Piscine ecosystem, which is becoming Montreal’s 1st business incubator dedicated to creative and cultural entrepreneurship, through its resident community of a dozen cultural and creative businesses. To these permanent residents is added a more occasional but equally vibrant community of entrepreneurs supported by our acceleration programs, their mentors, our partners and many more.
This collaborative DNA is expressed across the 5 floors operated by La Piscine in this 28,700 sq. ft. building, which stands proudly at the intersection of Saint-Maurice and Notre Dame-Ouest.