Dernier Occupant brings together several elements in a state of flux, shifting between past and present, history and modernity, looking back while moving forward. An exploration of the effects of entropy - its inevitability and its beauty - the collaboration is a celebration of Montreal's design heritage, past and present.
Despite its size and grandeur, Maison Linton in Downtown Montreal has gone unseen. Built in the 19th Century, the house has lived many lives, existing as a place of immense luxury and total abandonment. Yet, its elegant spaces and refined details remain, withstanding the passing of time.
Dernier Occupant marks the debut of a new era for the property. Led by architectural designer Mitchell Sweibel, the collaboration is seeing Maison Linton hosting the Montreal menswear brand, École De Pensée, with whom he has found somewhat of a kindred spirit.
A coming together of contemporary design and historic architecture, the collaboration is not rooted in the juxtaposition of old and new but rather in their similarities, exploring what connects designs that span different times and forms. Instead of providing a white canvas, Maison Linton offers an entirely new context - one that is infused with history, complexity and character.
Hosting École De Pensée, the event is presenting pieces from their own collection alongside furniture from the Danish design studio Frama to create open-ended narratives and textural assemblages. Blurring the lines between different forms and periods of design, the ephemeral installation is a meditation on permanence and timelessness.
Words by Rosie Robertson for Anniversary Magazine.
