Designed by architects Roger D'Astous and Luc Durand, it was built massively over budget by a consortium of architects, including Joseph Zappia, who was later convicted of fraud in connection with his involvement with the building.

Construction was overseen by René Lépine, Chairman of Groupe Lépine, and his associates through the company Zarolega Inc. Construction overruns were so drastic that the Olympic Installations Board seized the complex after its original estimate of $30 million ballooned to $90 million.

Its design was chosen by Mayor Jean Drapeau to imitate a similar structure in the south of France and was criticized for its exposed walkways, as some noted that they were unsuitable for a winter climate.

[6][7] The Régie du logement has an office and court rooms on the ground floor.

In 1998, Metcap Living Inc. bought the buildings from the Régie des Installations Olympiques for $64.5 million.