Perhaps because the first stones that one sets can seldom allow to predict the extent of the building to be built. And so, a simple phone call between the boss of a clothing retailer and that of an architectural firm also does not capture the importance of the business relationship it announces.

It is by browsing the history in disorder, starting from the opening of the newest store at Galeries de la Capitale, that we can fully measure how the common passion for architecture of Gordon Donald Simons and Alain Lemay is at the origin of a fruitful partnership, placed under the sign of an unshakable mutual trust.

Between this latest project and the first, which was to expand the Simons branch of Place Sainte-Foy in 1989, the symbiotic relationship between the two companies allowed them to grow and develop a sensibility to the areas of expertise of one and the other. They have learned together to design environments that promote a shopping experience that matches the spirit of a brand and its values.

“LEMAYMICHAUD is a happy mix of talent, efficiency and relational intelligence” says Peter Simons.

Whether it is to rethink the iconic place of business of Old Quebec, to strike the imagination of new markets such as Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver or Gatineau, or to radically redesign such popular addresses as Place Sainte-Foy and Galeries de la Capitale, we have been able to improve the customer experience in these stores. This fact is closely linked to the success of a company such as Simons, which has to deal with the radical changes in the retail trade.

It is now Alexi Lemay and the brothers Peter and Richard Simons who maintain the relationship. But little has changed, despite the transition from one generation to the next, in the rapport between the retailer and the architectural firm. If only that the link is even stronger than before. This is probably why LEMAYMICHAUD was commissioned to lead the redevelopment of the Tourny fountain, an important legacy of the Simons family to its hometown.

This is not the end of the story. Nor is it the beginning. After about twenty projects, this marriage of passion and daring has not finished telling itself.

Want to read other stories like this? All the better. Our memory is bright. We have many more of them planned, all inspiring.