AT THE HEART OF DIVERSITY
COMMEMORATION TRAIL
The commemoration trail is inspired by the tools of architectural representation-models, plans and cross-sections-to introduce visitors to Dan Hanganu's work through play.
The route begins at the park's forecourt. Placed in line with Rue Elgar, the galvanized steel and iron mesh pergola is reminiscent of the materials used by Dan Hanganu. Visitors are greeted by a multicolored mosaic projecting graphic representations of the architect's work onto the floor. A "red carpet" on the floor leads to the play area, where models of the architect's iconic works are transformed into play modules.
On leaving the playground, the carpet transforms into a red thread that weaves its way through the trees towards the school. On either side of the path, Plexiglas discs perched on flexible rods cast coloured shadows on the passageway. Engraved on the discs are plans, images and names of buildings, introducing us to the architect's tools of two-dimensional representation. The words and images stretch and glide across the asphalt and grass, following the path of the sun.
The red thread then runs in red dots to the large free-play lawn. A few red lozenges also appear at the threshold of the park on the Rue Berlioz side. As for the coloured discs, they play leapfrog, then land in small groups at the threshold of the woodland.
The commemorative concept is briefly explained by families of interactive objects that represent, in two or three dimensions, a dozen of Hanganu's iconic works.
PLANT STRATEGY AND WATER MANAGEMENT
The plant strategy consists of preserving the existing tree canopy, and inserting new shrub and tree-like vegetation, creating refuge areas for birds, insects and pollinators. Escape points radiate through the planted islands, offering glimpses of new lawns, created by amending and seeding the park's soil.
To solve the problem of water accumulation in spring, depressions are created between the root systems of existing trees. Surface water accumulates in these depressions, and will be spread by the new island shrubbery. The levelling of the grassed areas will be adjusted to drain them towards the biodiversity islands. More than just a haven for biodiversity and surface water drainage, the diverse vegetation of the islets vividly reveals the alternating seasons: the spring explosion of serviceberry bushes gives way in summer to the pink hues of eupatoria and fragrant brambles. In autumn, the scarlet colors of aronia and serviceberry blend with the red and gold foliage of mature trees. In winter, the wine-red bark of the dogwoods and the wispy panicles of the grasses stand out against the white background of the snow.
A 4th biodiversity island closes off the right-hand side of the play area, ensuring the safety of the children.
In phase two, the greening strategy is extended to the parking lot in front of the park: a square lawn and a square planted with trees and shrubs create a link with Place de l'Unité, whose lawns are replaced by new biodiversity islands.
Finally, the large free-play lawn next to the woodland has been seeded, and planted around its perimeter with avenue trees.
In conclusion, the plant strategy can be summed up in four main principles:
1. Encourage urban biodiversity through the planting of diversified vegetation in blocks.
2. Enhance existing shaded areas for user comfort
3. Reveal the alternating seasons
4. Expand water accumulation in naturalized wetland islands
Street furniture and play modules:
In the lawns that radiate out from the play area in a semicircle, new picnic tables are set up under the trees. The picnic tables, litter garbage cans, benches and bike racks are standard City of Montreal models. Multi-generational hammocks and swings are installed to encourage school-age children as well as teenagers and adults to use them. They are installed on steel posts coated with an anti-microbial and anti-viral electrostatic paint. With a diameter of 76mm and an average height of 2.8 meters, these poles are set on concrete column foundations.
The playground furniture for 5-12 year-olds has been retained and brought up to standard. The play area for 0-5 year-olds remains fenced in, with swings adapted to this age group on the same steel posts. Their design will be verified by a consultant certified by the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, CPRA, to ensure compliance with current safety standards. Architectural play modules are described in the Materiality section.
Surrounded by an avenue of tall trees, the large lawn is ideal for outdoor play. Benches and hammocks set up under the trees around the perimeter provide a place to relax next to the soothing calm of the wooded area.
TRAFFIC
Circulation in the park consists of two completely rebuilt pedestrian loop paths: one in the northern part of the park is asphalted, while the other, around the large free-play lawn, is made of stone dust. The two loops are linked by a commemorative trail of red dots and coloured rods.
The vehicular access road alongside the tennis courts has been completely rebuilt with a new granular base, and equipped with a bike path leading to the school. Signs could be installed at the east entrance to rue Berlioz to prohibit access by cyclists.
The red thread and coloured discs are the common thread running through the park. Not just playful elements inviting children to play, they also act as guide lines to help the visually impaired find their way around the park.
This signage language can also be found at the park's thresholds, which are marked by a combination of red pastilles and/or a play of colored light (plexiglass discs or pergola).
Universal accessibility is promoted by the installation of some fifteen benches with or without armrests along the route, and adapted tables directly accessible from the asphalt paths.
MATERIALITY
The transition zone between the parking lot and the park entrance is occupied by the forecourt. Widened by 10 metres, this platform is made of poured concrete containing finely ground recycled glass powder, replacing 10% of the cement. This reduces CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, cuts greenhouse gases and recycles old wine bottles.
The pergola is a galvanized steel structure. It measures three metres wide, eleven metres long and four metres high. The structure will be fixed to two foundation walls embedded in the forecourt at a depth of five feet. The columns are attached by galvanized steel base plates and anchor bolts to said foundation walls. The roof trusses will be attached to the columns with a rigid connection.
The front of the pergola is covered, in part, by a multicolored mosaic made of tempered glass printed with plans, elevations and photos of Dan Hanganu's work. These glass panels are fastened with stainless steel clips, to each other and to the concrete walls respectively with a - 5 - spider system, and threaded rods. The rear of the pergola is partially covered by a galvanized iron mesh serving as a trellis for climbing plants. A lighting system is provided to illuminate the pergola at night.
The surfaces of the children's play area are covered with a rubberized surface made from recycled tires, and covered with colored rubber granules, to create a friendly and safe atmosphere for children.
The architectural play modules are miniature volumetrics of Dan Hanganu's institutional works, namely the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, the Monique Corriveau Library and the entrance to HEC Montréal. The aim is to raise children's awareness of knowledge and exhibition architecture in general, and that of Dan Hanganu in particular. They will comply with safety requirements. Their design will be verified by a consultant certified by the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, CPRA.
The modules are made of welded stainless steel plates and protected with anti-microbial and anti-viral paint. Based on silver ion technology, this paint protects against viruses, bacteria, yeast and mould.
The red thread is a colorful asphalt pathway, covered with a colored concrete Streetbond coating. The path alongside the playground is designed for pedestrians, with an average width of 2.5 metres. The section alongside the tennis courts is designed for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, with a width of four meters. This asphalt section is also colored with red pellets.
Made of threaded steel rods 50 mm thick and 3 metres high, the commemorative rods are anchored in a poured concrete base buried in the ground. At the top end of the rods are 5mm-thick coloured Plexiglas discs, engraved with plans, sections and photos of the architect's iconic works.
Plexiglass is the ideal material for this outdoor application, being half as light as glass and 30 times more impact-resistant. If the Plexiglas breaks, a single fault line is created, so the material does not shatter. Plexiglass also lets in more light than glass, with a light transmission of 90%. Because it is more UV- and weather-resistant than glass, Plexiglass is often used as a replacement for glass (e.g. skylights). The use of Plexiglass outdoors is far more durable than that of many sheet materials. Green Cast brand sheet also offers plexiglass made entirely from 100% recycled plexiglass.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Stage 1:
The 204JA proposal was selected by the jury with a view to its further development/refinement during the second stage of the competition, considering the comments below.
Quality of purpose
This proposal was difficult for the jury to assess, as it went well beyond the project's scope. One of the proposal's major attributes is the reconfiguration and widening of the first parking lot to allow the park to be extended forward by the addition of a new lawn and planted square. Although the jury finds the intervention in the first parking lot judicious, the proposal in the project's intervention zone (phase 1) must be sufficiently strong and stand on its own. The second stage of the competition should provide a clear understanding of how the landing and reception area of the park will be configured in phase 1. In addition, the jury invites the team to work on the conceptual narrative, which is non-existent for all the landscape gestures.
Regarding the tribute to Dan Hanganu, the jury doubts the relevance and interest of the pergola as a symbolic and commemorative element. The use of panels is a rather conventional proposal in terms of commemoration. The team needs to rethink the idea of a tribute.
The jury emphasized the idea of centrality, the red dot as the heart of the square, a focal point to be exploited.
Social quality and identity
Although the jury questions its integration, the pergola provides an interesting gathering and programming opportunity for the park. The possibilities for appropriation during the four seasons, day and evening, appealed to the jury.
The proposal seems to meet children's needs but remains underdeveloped. The play module area has the potential to present a strong signature but will need to be more strongly connected to the rest of the site.
The picnic area should be developed in the second stage of the competition (furniture and access).
The grassy area is little used. Jury members recognize the need for a soccer field but question the presence of a synthetic pitch in this park, close to a wetland. Moreover, the project's budget would make it difficult to install such equipment.
Formal and landscape quality
The jury was concerned that the permanent structure of the pergola would overshadow the surrounding buildings rather than echo them. There are already several buildings in the park.
The landscape and formal attributes of the site are to be developed in stage 2. Commemorative objects and furnishings should be formally refined and distributed according to axes of progression and/or discovery experiences.
Functional quality
The proposal is not sufficiently developed in terms of spatial organization. The issues of circulation in the park do not seem to have been mastered. Links with all entry thresholds, including the Domaine St-Paul woodland, need to be further developed.
The jury will want to better understand the red path linking the play module area and running alongside the buildings. This link should be continued to the rear of the park, or at least better connected to the site.
Environmental quality and greening
The proposal seems to place great emphasis on greening, but little information is provided on this subject. Apart from the biodiversity islands, the proposal also contains little information on the environmental aspects of the project.
Stage 2:
Quality of purpose
The project is rich and sensible. The design intentions and principles are well thought out. The proposal contributes to decompartmentalizing and optimizing the park's functions, to providing a safe play experience under the canopy, and above all, to creating a commemorative reception hub that offers transparency on the site.
The tribute to Dan Hanganu is sensitive, intelligent and shows respect for the man. The idea of lighthouse and light has real commemorative potential. The team's decision to group this commemoration at the entrance to the site makes it more revealing.
On the other hand, the Romanian decorative art motifs, reproduced on the vertical walls of the bleachers, make little contribution to the already well-articulated commemorative theme, and appear somewhat and appear somewhat "tacked-on".
Social quality and identity
The presence of the agora and stage, a third place for meetings, exchanges and, above all, commemoration, is greatly appreciated. This new space encourages interaction and is well suited to users of all ages. The actor-spectator relationship helps to energize the space. The space provides an opportunity for off-site activities related to school, library or cultural activities.
Although the juxtaposed volumes of different heights create a play area, the stage lacks flexibility and versatility regarding the activities that could be organized there, which would require a flat surface. It would be advisable to work with the borough to determine precise needs and, if required, find versatile solutions to maximize use of the stage space.
The family dining experience in the park remains weaker in the proposal, notably due to the lack of picnic tables.
Formal and landscape quality
The project is highly coherent in terms of form and materials. The creation of a commemorative, playful third place, located at the park's main entrance, from which the main circulation axes extend and the programmed spaces gravitate, is a great gesture to maintain.
The concept, based in part on the permutation of the play area, opens up the park and highlights the Elgar Community Centre. The proposal to later reverse the basketball and tennis courts is judicious and will contribute all the more to decompartmentalizing the park.
The strong geometric presence gives unity to the park. However, the rectilinear aspect creates constraints in the play area, which would benefit from a more organic and natural delineation, in (desirable) contrast to the agora layout.
The positioning of La porte de l'avenir, located between the commemorative space and the playground, is quite successful and respectful of the work.
The importance given to the agora and the stage should not be to the detriment of the rest of the park's amenities. A balance may be required when optimizing the concept (and costs).
Functional quality
The paths are accessible and allow good use of the entire site. Desire lines for pedestrian paths are well understood. There is a good balance between volumes and functions/appropriations.
The team was able to resolve the safety issues associated with high-speed cycling in the park, while allowing for bike-pedestrian cohabitation. However, changes in the type of ground surface in the vehicular access path accentuate the fragmentation effect and result in a weaker connection with the rear part of the park. The threshold between the two sections deserves particular attention. The design should invite users to continue on to discover the rear section, an invitation that will be enhanced by the permutation of the tennis and basketball courts when they are eventually refurbished.
Environmental quality and greening
The reuse of many of the park's existing elements, such as the reinstallation of play modules and boulders, is a welcome development.
The design concept also encourages natural water infiltration, with the use of wood shavings in the play area and drainage strategies towards permeable low points.
Although the design takes greater account of existing site conditions than the Stage 1 proposal, the geometric rigor of the layout may have to be toned down in order to retain all the trees and limit interventions, particularly in the area of the playground and the path linking the agora and Rue Berlioz.
Notions of biodiversity are underdeveloped and will need to be further explored during the development of the project, in relation to the Domaine Saint-Paul woodland adjacent to the site, and as a complement to ongoing work on the protection/enhancement of its biodiversity
Evolution of the proposal
The Phase 1 proposal evolved in line with the jury's comments, but without losing the essence of the concept. The Phase 2 proposal still has a lot of potential, and can be further refined with the jury's and the borough's recommendations.
Feasibility
Although the team was able to instill confidence in the technical committee and jury, the position of the playground in the wooded part of the park still raises concerns about tree preservation and the water management strategy.
A few other issues were also raised by the jury and deserve attention: the durability of the glass bricks and their resistance to the climate, the legibility of the lighting effects, and the approvals required for the installation of certain facilities and equipment (play modules and furniture) on the grounds and furniture) on private land.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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