Lumière, lumineuse, illuminée
Place Eugène Lapierre is the residual space between de Maisonneuve Boulevard and President Kennedy Avenue. However, it has a hidden potential as it is located in the heart of a cultural zone of national scope. Moreover, the fact that the square has only been used as a parking lot since its creation, gives additional justification to the redevelopment project within the Quartier des spectacles. A continuity of the green promenade, initiated by Place Domtar, Place Président Kennedy and Place Albert Dusquesne, would be very favourable (the parking lot forming a break in this promenade).
Also, the mezzanines of the metro connect all the exits to each other, which gives them a more public character. Thus they constitute, in a way, an intermediate street between the ground level and the platforms. But it is devoid of any commercial, advertising or civic activity, which makes pedestrian traffic most annoying. It would be interesting to offer an alternative to the large number of passers-by and subway users. Finally, the site is located at an important transition point between the public cultural area and the more private residential area. The design should take into account that it is necessary to provide visual boundaries and openings in accordance with the passerby who strolls through our space.
Between the regular rectangular shape of Place Domtar (representative of the Montreal grid) and the unusual triangular shape of Place du Président Kennedy, our site is characterized by a transitional form. The two streets along the site (Maisonneuve and President Kennedy) seem to want to merge at one point but are pushed back and take divergent directions. However, to prevent them from continuing in this way, Maisonneuve Boulevard must be redirected along the orthogonal grid of the city. This creates the block on which we base our project, in relation to which the street is brought back to a position parallel to President Kennedy Avenue. The continuity of the green promenade as well as the pedestrian circulation, following the created axis, are brutally cut by the Domtar building. The alignment of the public squares creates a gateway to the Quartier des spectacles. The traffic, at both ends of our site, merges into a single corridor along the zigzag bench. This bench is a representation of the subway walls symbolically emerging to the surface. Therefore, by bringing all of these generative ideas together, we create a central circulation between the axis structure and the accordion. These separations are also identifiable in the different floor coverings, illustrating the contrast between the warmer neighborhood life and the busier city life.
Specifically, the zigzag bench can be understood as a transgression of the subway infrastructure (see above). People have the freedom to sit on either side, either facing the illuminated walls or perhaps interacting with the people lying on the grass. The shape of the benches adds to the dynamism of the central circulation.
The illuminated walls, made of translucent glass, mark the axis with a regular rhythm through their spacing and width. They also serve as a limit to the main circulation by framing the two openings at the ends of the site. They are erected towards the sky, recalling the verticality of the surrounding buildings. Their luminous appearance would attract passers-by and would then be immediately considered as a landmark of the city. The walls can also serve as a backdrop for the benches of the esplanade. During a festival or public celebration, the color of the light could possibly be changed to match, or could become the backdrop for an artistic performance.
The different materials used as flooring are simply placed in three layers. The pale granite of the esplanade represents the penetration of the city sidewalk into the site, and links it to the Domtar Place driveway. The reddish gravel, reminiscent of the brick texture of the buildings, indicates the importance we place on the area where the traffic should be concentrated, where the two atmospheres collide (cold granite / warm grass). Grass brings vegetation to downtown Montreal that will surely be greatly appreciated by both residents and passers-by. A row of large trees with dense foliage along the sidewalk of President Kennedy Avenue and a few smaller decorative trees provide shade on the grassy area.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
This is doubtless the most effective, best-controlled project (taking into account the time constraint). The jury unanimously appreciated the hierarchy of three types of public spaces, from inorganic to the most organic. The project features a clear geometric breakdown into three small public spaces, and strong vertical lines established by the row of tall beacons. To the north, the existing row of trees has been simply and intelligently kept, and the project introduces a break, an unusual zigzag that, on a second reading, echoes the curtain wall of the metro station corridor directly below. Undeniably, a number of technical aspects remain to be clarified or reworked. Will the beacons be made exclusively of glass? Will gravel with a sufficiently distinctive, noble colour, texture and sound quality for such an important public square be available? In the final analysis, there is nothing to disqualify this project, but a number of aspects need more work in order for the design to deliver its full potential once it is realized. Thanks to the quality of the documents submitted, the jury was nevertheless able to appreciate a mixture of assertiveness and reserve conducive to a positive end result. The proposed square will be an inviting place for people to rest for a few minutes after a long day of sightseeing, a square that people can hurry or stroll though. In summary, the project has sufficient positive qualities to make it the winning competition entry.
(From jury report)
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