Arsenal Montreal, a converted shipyard turned art venue that opened in May 2011, has recently expanded by some 40,000 square feet to comprise a total of approximately 80,000 square feet. The additional space was recently vacated by a plasma torch manufacturer, and Arsenal is now occupying it as part of a long-term lease.

The expansion comes in tandem with the creation of a new 8,000-square-foot permanent exhibition hall on the lower level of the building. (A space for dealer Galerie Division will continue to exist on the upper floors of the building, as will a private-collection exhibition space for Arsenal leads Pierre and Anne-Marie Trahan, along with an artist’s studio and multimedia room.)

The new permanent exhibition hall will debut to the public on January 31 with the opening of “Like Thunder Out of China,” a group show of contemporary Chinese artists curated by Paris-based specialist Pia Camilla Copper and Montreal-based art consultant Margot Ross. Among the artists included are the Gao Brothers, Han Bing and Lu  Fei Fei.

Arsenal representatives say that, outside of the new permanent exhibition hall, a large part of the additional square footage will continue to be used as a flexible space for events ranging from Sotheby’s auction previews to Montreal Fashion Week shows.

The Arsenal enterprise also expanded into Toronto in spring 2012 with a 7,000-square-foot space on Ernest Avenue.

This article was corrected on January 24, 2013. The original article incorrectly indicated that Galerie René Blouin was still at Arsenal Montreal. This dealer recently moved out of the building.