Seagram Building reborn as Martlet House
Landmark venue renamed following donation of storied site to McGill
The late Sam Bronfman's wood-paneled office remains intact. The stained glass windows and majestic oak desk of his former Peel Street quarters still impress, much as they did when Bronfman ran his Seagram Company until his death in 1971.
Today, Bronfman's former office bustles with another kind of business. Nancy Wells, Vice-Principal of Development and Alumni Relations at McGill University, took over Bronfman’s former quarters when her unit moved into the ex-Seagram Building in the fall of 2003.
"One can almost feel the power and spirit of Mr. Bronfman in his office and imagine all the conversations that took place here," says Wells. "It's a privilege to sit in this space, which was defined by a great Canadian businessman and philanthropist."
New name for landmark
On March 30, 2004, McGill announced the former Seagram headquarters was being renamed. The building at 1430 Peel Street will now be called Martlet House to reflect its new vocation as home of the University's Development and Alumni Relations department.
The Martlet designation was originally adopted from the three flying martlets featured on McGill's coat of arms. The Martlet marquee has stood above four alumni relations headquarters over 45 years and a new sign should be posted on the Peel Street building within days.
History of new quarters
The Seagram Building was generously donated to McGill in 2002 by Vivendi Universal, a world leader in media and communications, which acquired the property through its purchase of the Seagram Company Ltd. The Peel Street building previously served as one of two headquarters for the Seagram Company, the other located in New York. The Seagram Company was founded in 1928 by Samuel Bronfman following acquisition of Joseph Seagram & Sons, which he amalgamated with his own Distillers Corporation. Under his leadership, the Seagram Company became the world's largest purveyor of spirits.
Architect David Jerome Spence designed the Seagram Building. It was constructed in 1928 at a site chosen by Sam Bronfman himself. The structure's limestone façade includes a portcullis and was modelled after a 16th-century Scottish baronial castle in tribute to the whiskey produced by the Seagram Company.
In 1931, Spence masterminded the building's first seamless addition, doubling its initial size. Two expansions followed in 1947 and 1955. Today, the building has five floors that provide McGill with 30,000 square feet of critical office space. Despite various renovations during the Seagram era, much of the wood-panelling and other vestiges of the building's original design have survived, including the structure's limestone façade, a second-floor boardroom and Sam Bronfman's office. These areas will be preserved as long as McGill owns the property.
A history of giving
The Bronfman family, as well as Seagram, have made a number of significant donations and contributions to McGill over the decades. Samuel Bronfman was a member of McGill's Board of Governors and his most significant gift was financing quarters for the Faculty of Management.
Other major contributions have included the establishment of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, the Saidye Rosner Bronfman Chair in Architectural History, the Minda de Gunzburg Chair in Oncology (named after the late daughter of Saidye and Samuel Bronfman), and the Seagram Sports Science Centre. About this most recent gift to McGill, Charles Bronfman says: "My family is delighted to see our relationship with the University continue with the donation of this Montreal landmark."
"We are tremendously grateful to the Bronfman family for being the driving force behind this generous gift from Vivendi Universal," adds Wells. "The former Seagram Building has been reborn as Martlet House, where 100 full- and part-time alumni and development staff, previously scattered in several buildings, now collaborate under one roof. We're also thrilled to gain a home on a major downtown street, symbolically reinforcing the University's involvement with the Montreal community."
Stuart (Kip) Cobbett, president of McGill's Alumni Association (and managing partner of Stikeman Elliott LLP's Montreal office and its chief operating officer), is pleased the Peel Street "castle" was offered to McGill. "The historical significance of this property in the development of Montreal's business history is a source of pride to everyone at McGill, as well as its alumni, who value the city's heritage," he says. "This gift is an example to follow in corporate giving."
Artisans behind the renewal
The former Seagram headquarters were restored over several months in 2003 – at a cost of $1.5 million – by Fournier Gersovitz Moss et Associés Architects (FGMAA). Original workmanship on the first, second and third floors was painstakingly preserved, while everything from ventilation to carpets to wiring was refurbished.
Julia Gersovitz, one of FGMAA's partners and an auxiliary professor of design at McGill's School of Architecture, says refurbishing the new Martlet House was a treat. "It's not very often that an office building is modelled after a castle," she says. "While the building is not officially classified as a heritage monument, one can certainly argue it has heritage value: it is the work of an important Canadian architect, it is a landmark building, and it was the headquarters of a famous international company."
About Development and Alumni Relations
McGill’s Development and Alumni Relations department (DAR) is the result of a union of the McGill Alumni Association and the McGill Development Office. Amalgamated in 1996, this unit is responsible for all alumni relations and fundraising activities conducted in McGill's behalf around the world. DAR staff work together to encourage and seek philanthropic support from alumni, foundations, corporations and individuals.
About Fournier Gersovitz Moss et Associés Architectes (FGMAA)
FGMAA has won awards for its work across eastern Canada and the Far North. Its principal expertise is in the conservation and recycling of historic buildings. Local projects include the Harbour Commissioners' Building, the Gault Hotel, McGill's Meredith House and Westmount's Victoria Hall. FGMAA is also known for its innovative contemporary design in northern regions (north of the 55th parallel) and First Nations lands.
About McGill
McGill University, founded in 1821, has earned an international reputation for scholarly achievement and scientific discovery. The 22 faculties and professional schools offer more than 300 programs, from the undergraduate to the doctoral level, and our professors have received their education from leading academic centres around the world. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse student bodies in North America. There are approximately 18,000 full-time undergraduate students and 5,000 full-time graduate students enrolled at McGill.
About Vivendi Universal
The international company, which once owned Seagram, is divided into six groups. Canal+ Group operates pay-TV channels and produces and distributes film and television programs. Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company and owns the largest catalogue of recorded music in the world. Vivendi Universal Entertainment was created through the combination of Universal Studios Group and USA Networks' entertainment assets. Vivendi Universal Entertainment produces and distributes motion pictures (in the theatrical, television and home video/DVD markets) and television programs. Vivendi Universal Entertainment also owns and operates cable television networks and channels, as well as theme parks. In October 2003, Vivendi Universal and General Electric signed a definitive agreement to merge NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Vivendi Universal Games is one of the world's leading publishers of interactive entertainment and educational software. SFR-Cegetel Group is France's second telecommunications operator in mobile telephony, fixed-line telephony and the Internet. Maroc Telecom is Morocco's market leader in mobile and fixed-line telephony and the Internet.
