This house is not a home. It’s an incognito STM facility. • For years, Montreal's transit authority has been discreetly building a sprawling ventilation system within — and below — this derelict building. • "It was important for us to preserve it, that spirit, of what it was like in that era," said Martin Allard, an architect with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM). • The STM preserved each stone, replaced the rotten woodwork and even installed lighting in the front hall so that 1423 Towers St. looks inhabited. • But the illusion ends at the front door. • Pushing it open, one is met with a gaping concrete stairwell — one that descends 18 metres underground, into the tunnels of the Metro system. • Éric Perreault, a project director with the STM, said there are three functions of a ventilation station: bring fresh air in; expel diesel fumes; and evacuate smoke in case of a fire. • The STM has been working to rebuild its ventilation stations since the early 2000s. So far, 11 new stations have been completed, with six still under construction. • For the full article, click the link in our bio. • • • (Reporting: Laura Marchand/CBC, Based on reporting by Radio-Canada's 15-18 and Philippe-Antoine Saulnier) #CBCMTL #STM #Ventilation #HeritageBuilding #VictoriaEra #Illusion #DowntownMontreal #MontrealMetro