The Ville de Montréal's borough of Verdun recognizes the importance of parks and green spaces in providing a complete, high-quality family living environment. In its 2015-2025 strategic development plan, the provision of quality parks and public spaces is one of Verdun's key priorities. Planning for park rehabilitation is also reflected in the borough's three-year capital investment program and financial support programs.
Given the heavy use of Parc Elgar in the L'île-des-Soeurs district, the deterioration of certain facilities and the importance of the park to the community, this park has been selected for major rehabilitation.
In addition to the park's rehabilitation, the project will include a commemorative component, thus enhancing the site's landscape quality in light of the park's recent toponymy change in honor of architect Dan S. Hanganu. A citizen of L'Île-des-Soeurs until his death in 2017, Mr. Hanganu was the architect who designed the expansion of the Elgar Community Centre, located near the park, as well as many other buildings and structures in the L'Île-des-Soeurs neighbourhood. He was also responsible for the Pointe-à-Callière museum1, the UQAM design pavilion, the HEC Montréal business school2, the Cirque du Soleil headquarters and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. This tribute is intended to highlight the exceptional contribution of this architect, whose achievements are recognized for their excellence.
It is in this context that the borough of Verdun is launching this multi-disciplinary landscape architecture competition for the redevelopment of Elgar Park, renamed Dan-Hanganu Park, and is inviting professionals in the field of development to propose creative solutions that meet the needs of citizens, and that will live up to the architect's work. It is hoped that the competition will elicit a diversity of responses and that proposals will incorporate the most up-to-date approaches in the field of development.
(From competition program)
(Consult the competitors' projects for specific comments from the jury)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The members of the jury would like to pass on the following comments for all the finalists in the competition in order to better prepare them for stage 2 of the competition:
- The question of Dan Hanganu's commemoration, central to the competition, needs to be further explored in stage 2 of the competition.
- The finalists must better describe the play modules proposed for the project (preschool and school), including whether these will be retained (in whole or in part, type of refurbishment), replaced or modified. Finalists must also include a reflection on the playful aspect of the park.
- The artwork The gateway to the future must be integrated into the overall composition. (https://artpublic.ville.montreal.qc.ca/oeuvre/la-porte-de-lavenir/).
- L'arrondissement wishes to preserve all the park's healthy trees and ensure that their root systems are protected in accordance with the rules of the art. To this end, finalists are asked to identify, where applicable, the healthy trees that will require special attention as part of their performance.
- The finalists must take into account, when developing their performance, the problem of spring and occasional water accumulation in the picnic area section.
- Le project budget must be respected, and finalists are invited to prioritize their interventions and/or to place their project (or at least a significant part of it) within a minimum intervention perspective. At stage 2, the evaluation criterion concerning feasibility must be met, failing which the submission will not be considered.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Projet de réaménagement du parc Dan-Hanganu, Ville de Montréal, 2024
Réaménagement du parc Dan-Hanganu (anc. parc Elgar) dans le quartier de L’Île-des-Sœurs, Design Montréal, 2021
AAPQ, ADM, Appel de propositions - Réaménagement du parc Elgar dans le quartier de L’Île-des-Sœurs, 2021
Dubuc, Caroline, Lauréats | Concours du réaménagement du parc Elgar (parc Dan-Hanganu), 2022
Les Phares - parc Dan-Hanganu, 2023
Finalistes | Réaménagement du parc Elgar (parc Dan-Hanganu), Kollectif, 2021
Desautels, Katrine, Le parc Dan Hanganu se métamorphose au goût du jour, Journal Métro, 2022
Réaménagement du parc Dan-Hanganu - Concept lauréat, AAPQ, 2022
Verdun nommera un parc en l’honneur de l’architecte Dan Hanganu, Kollectif, 2021
Desautels, Katrine, Résumé de votre conseil d'arrondissement du mois de février, Journal Métro, 2022
