DAME FLORE
THE VISION
Vieux-Lachine is a district intimately linked to the history of Quebec and Canada for its commercial effusion and social diversity. Part of it, Notre Dame Street, despite its strong commercial presence, seems to have been deserted. Like the end of a fallow period, the street is now ready to be once again at the heart of a transition towards an ecological, inclusive future: renewed growth.
How can a shopping street make a positive contribution to its environment? How can we create a dynamic, inclusive artery that pays tribute to its history while looking to the future?
Mixed-use is the focus of our commercial strategy. The future of the resilient shopping street lies in its diversity and flexibility. It's no longer just shops that inhabit it, but a multitude of functions such as housing, offices, cultural venues, community spaces, ephemeral spaces, Pop-Ups, adaptable seasonal spaces, places for services, entertainment and physical activity. These spaces are vehicles for social (re)connection, cooperation, mutual aid and openness; themes already rooted in the commercial context and which we seek to reveal. The aim is to forge links and nurture this growth, anchoring Notre-Dame Street in the daily lives of locals and visitors alike.
THE MEANS
We need to create more and more spaces that are shared and useful to all: parcel pick-up zones, markets or pop-up spaces where you can test and sell products at lower cost, collaborative service exchange points, various types of training, etc., all with a view to encouraging the fertility of start-ups and retailers. It's all about giving the streets back to the people. Sidewalks are no longer just places to pass through, but merge with roads to create safe paths, opportunities to socialize and exchange. A place where all generations and cultures come together, a vibrant place that demonstrates the cultural and artistic richness of the neighborhood, a place that changes with the seasons, where everyone finds their place.
"CULTIVONS NOTRE JARDIN" [LET'S CULTIVATE OUR GARDEN], CANDIDE BY VOLTAIRE
The canal had an impact on the country's economy, making the district a hub of activity. We want Notre-Dame to reconnect with its roots and develop its full potential. We want it to become an incubator, a fertile model for ecological and social transition within the cultural district of Vieux-Lachine and beyond... The street becomes a path of discovery, a corridor where human and plant biodiversity take over the streets like wild perennials. Like the seeds of a new wind, the street's identity can be found at every corner. Its visible, recognizable modules attract visitors from the riverbanks and the park. Green and white roofs, pedestrians, cyclists and urban agriculture germinate throughout the street. Like fertile soil, it becomes a source of reconnection between people and nature, a fertilizer for social, economic and cultural growth. A way to grow one's inner garden into a field of all possibilities.
IMPLANTATION
In terms of urban planning, the proposal anchors Notre-Dame Street in its environment and enhances the central role it can play within the cultural district of Vieux Lachine and beyond... The street's identity is reflected at various points/intersections, and these modules help draw visitors from the waterfront, the park or the district to Notre-Dame Street. In this way, the gesture favors circulation axes for cyclists and green corridors linking Lasalle Park to the Lachine Canal to encourage biodiversity. By planting these axes with a denser, more varied planting and a multiplicity of modules, the natural environment is given a prominent place in the neighborhood, highlighted by small urban microcosms. The plan proposes a shared street between 10th and 15th avenues, encouraging pedestrians and cyclists to get around, while allowing access to emergency services and deliveries according to a pre-established schedule. To the west, around the market, there is an agro-educational zone featuring collective gardens, as well as a learning zone and laboratory on the theme of urban agriculture, repair and the circular economy. To the east, the project proposes a more dynamic and sportier pole, advocating the principles of mobility through the built environment, and inviting users to an active lifestyle within facilities that allow them to move.
SHARED STREET
Between 10th and 15th avenues, the project proposes a shared street, where pedestrians and cyclists coexist. The aim is for the street to become a living space for the neighborhood, inhabited by residents and visitors alike. A place to meet, socialize, exchange ideas and contemplate. A place that also gives merchants greater flexibility to adapt their offer according to season and context.
Centered around the 11th Avenue cultural square, the shared street is adaptable to all kinds of events. The modules, with their cultural functions, showcase the Old Lachine district and its representatives and artists. This mix and flexibility will create a vibrant space that demonstrates the cultural and artistic richness of the neighborhood.
COMMERCIAL CONNECTIONS
For this sector, the proposal is to enhance the public square by creating a place for exchange, sharing and learning. The existing building on the corner of 18th is transformed into an agro-educational center where you can take training courses, repair workshops, swap seeds in the large gardens or sample local dishes prepared with food produced within a neighborhood-wide radius. The aim of this hub is to increase awareness of urban agriculture, and to promote short circuits and the circular economy, all of which will enable us to play an active part in the ecological transition. Through this resilient ecosystem, the Lachine district and Notre-Dame Street will lead Montreal in the transition to a more sustainable future.
THE ENTRANCE TO THE ÉCO-QUARTIER
To integrate the new Écoquartier of Lachine Est, a sports and active hub has been set up at 6th Avenue. This hub enables residents of the eco-neighborhood and surrounding area to take advantage of outdoor spaces. Through the deployment of the various modules, the identity of Notre-Dame Street is present, promoting a weaving of links with the Ecoquartier and its residents.
By encouraging urban mobility, whether through the addition of bicycle paths, bicycle parking or public transport, while creating places for physical mobility, the new grid generates a place of connections and growth for all. In this way, the Ecoquartier and Notre Dame Street work side by side and help each other to contribute to the growth of the neighborhood and the well-being of its residents, while participating in the ecological transition.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
+ GENERAL APPRECIATION
The "Dame Flore" proposal by Étienne Bernier Architecture + Julien Delannoy stood out for its overall quality, in terms of visual presentation, programming and thinking.
+ CONCEPTUAL QUALITY
The proposal brings a vision that addresses all the challenges of the competition, with a high quality of execution and conceptual richness. Jury members appreciated the emphasis placed on the appropriation of the area by the people of Lachine. The street is projected as a participatory space, with three distinct poles with different functions, enriching the proposal. New business models are also evoked, with the diversification of activities on commercial streets, from pop-up and pick-up shops to collaborative workspaces. The proposal is based on a comprehensive vision with unifying potential.
+ EXPERIENTIAL QUALITY AND ATTRACTIVENESS
The proposal features a variety of urban spaces, with a cultural square at 11th Avenue, the market and a sports hub at 6th Avenue. These different poles, combined with the partial pedestrianization of the street, make for a more interesting street experience, with a pleasant stroll from one end to the other. The programming is well-crafted and complete, positioning the street as a hub of commercial activity. The resonance with Notre Dame Street is perhaps less strong, but still offers great adaptability and potential for community appropriation.
+ QUALITY OF INTEGRATION AND FORMAL QUALITY
The proposal sets out an interception between forms and their adaptability, suggesting that the landscape is modular. Densification of the built environment is also possible with community input.
+ FUNCTIONAL QUALITY
The creation of three poles is promising for commercial vitality, ensuring goodwill along the entire street, with complementary uses. The proposal is attractive because it suggests the project's adaptability thanks to functional modules designed in different sections. The proposal also opens up to the future Lachine-Est district.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
31 scanned / 31 viewable
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Site Plan
- Site Plan
- Plan
- Section
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Reference Image
- Reference Image
- Reference Image
- Presentation Panel Excerpt
