The Saint-Sulpice Library is a magnificent Beaux-Arts style building. According to Guy Pinard, it is the “most refined” example of this style in Montreal. This is particularly evident in the rich ornamentation around the windows and door. Note the entablature above the main door, which features a cartouche depicting an open book.
The building is composed of three sections. The first comprises the façade, the second has a gabled roof and contains the conference and reading rooms, while the third is rectangular with a flat roof and houses the bookshelves and service rooms.
The interior of the Saint-Sulpice Library is also of exceptional quality and integrity. Richly decorated, the library features materials such as Caen stone (walls of the public rooms), marble (hall floor, grand staircase, floor borders, baseboards), oak (woodwork and furniture), and bronze (light fixtures and hardware, outdoor torches). The stained glass windows that adorn the façade and the ceiling coffers of the great hall were created by Henri Perdriau.
