A building of exceptional heritage value, the Institut des Sourdes-Muettes is a good example of architecture that developed over several eras. Despite the construction of the body of the building in seven phases, over a period of 73 years, the incorporation of all of its constituent parts into an overall “H”-plan, the continuity of the volumes and the choice of materials produced a remarkably harmonious building. The buildings, for the most part, made of roughly carved Montreal greystone with dressed stone for the ornamentation.

Designed by Father Joseph Michaud des Clercs de Saint-Viateur, the building is an example of Second Empire architecture, with its mansard roof and corner pavilions, a popular style in Montreal in the 1870s. He grafted onto the centre of the building the avant-corps of the entrance, decorated with pilasters to give the composition a monumental scale. The dome adorning the roof is reminiscent of the domes on Marché Bonsecours and Hôtel-Dieu. The fenestration decreases in height from floor to floor, a common approach at the time. The building still boasts stunning wooden verandas, evocative of its convent origins.

A chapel sits at the centre of the building. It houses a work by painter Georges Delfosse that represents the miraculous translation of the image of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil, the patron of the chapel. The interior of the Institut des Sourdes-Muettes, with its rich wood panelling, was relatively well conserved until the site was abandoned. The Berri Street entrance features a magnificent golden oak stairway with a ramp and balustrade in red oak.

In 2019, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux and the Société québécoise des infrastructures proposed that the City buy the building. The City of Montreal has expressed interest in developing scenarios for repurposing the Institut des Sourdes-Muettes and the Hôpital des Sœurs de la Miséricorde, before making a decision to purchase the buildings, which have remained largely unoccupied.

In June 2021, the City of Montreal presented its redevelopment vision for the Sourdes-Muettes site. The Quebec government owns the complex. It is expected that it will be transferred to a private developer who will carry out the restoration, redevelopment and requalification work.

Over the years, Heritage Montreal has submitted several letters, briefs and resolutions concerning various surplus hospital buildings in Montreal, including the Institute for Deaf-Mute Girls

Héritage Montréal continues to follow the case closely and to advocate with public authorities for the site to be requalified and for the heritage values of the site to be respected.