Synesthesia: A neurological phenomenon in which two or more senses are linked. Wikipedia.
The Latin Quarter is bustling with life both day and night. Montreal's cultural pulse beats strongly here. It has it all: nightlife, commerce, and higher education. Trastafoli draws its energy from this vitality and channels it through a network of routes whose traces can be found everywhere, reflecting the neighborhood's identity.
Saint-Denis offers passersby a playful synesthetic experience that is different at all times.
By day, Saint-Denis, the neighborhood's backbone, serves as a central thoroughfare dedicated to business, offering a fair and courteous balance between cars and pedestrians.
A pavement of colored stripes lets users define their own whims, with multiple patterns responding to the desires of the moment: blue for going out, pink for learning, green for the market, orange for dining, and yellow for living.
At 6:00 p.m., the interpretation of the traces changes, and Saint-Denis becomes pedestrian-friendly, playful, and a frivolous synesthesia. The terraces spill their tables and guests onto the sidewalks, transforming the street into a pedestrian zone--a place for strolling and meeting friends.
The traces of each of us lead us to a square on De Maisonneuve Street, which, while preserving the spirit of the place, has been reimagined to create a plaza connecting the main library, UQAM, and the park.
This plaza features a new, community-building space: the Émilie Gamelin Market. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the city, featuring a terraced orchard rising up to an urban agricultural greenhouse, both of which serve the market.
The sculptures are preserved and placed in a prominent position in the park along the large wall running parallel to De Maisonneuve Street. The water theme is retained. It flows directly from the large wall, feeding a wading pool/beach for everyone's enjoyment during the summer, while others can dip their feet while sitting on the steps on either side. In winter, the water turns to ice; we put on our skates and glide across it.
The complex creates a multipurpose space open to vehicular traffic except during neighborhood events, food fairs, artist markets, and student days.
(From the competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Trastafoli
The jury appreciated:
The development's potential, particularly on the western side and along Saint-Denis Street (with the concept of an urban lounge: very appealing).
The potential the development offers in terms of day/night dynamics.
The playful quality of the approach. The central role of citizens in the project.
The work with water and the proposed color choices.
The jury raised the following concerns (reservation):
The large-scale transformation of Émilie-Gamelin Square without regard for the artistic proposal by architect and artist-designer Melvin Charney, given that the park currently functions quite well and requires only minor refinements.
The insufficient scale of the proposed built environment along the Maisonneuve frontage of Émilie-Gamelin Square and the addition of another adjacent "orchard" plaza.
The sunken placement of Émilie-Gamelin Square, which does not enhance the park's liveliness.
The appropriateness of placing a sports field in Émilie-Gamelin Square, as well as the concern that the proposal suggests reducing the diversity of the neighborhood's population by excluding homeless people from the park.
The jury suggested (as a direction for the follow-up to the competition):
To continue the redevelopment of Saint-Denis Street beyond Maisonneuve Boulevard, extending, among other things, to the future healthcare district (CHUM).
To approach interventions in Émilie-Gamelin Park in a more "surgical" or meticulous manner regarding the existing landscape, while potentially maintaining areas for urban sports and/or play (e.g., skateboarding...).
To reconsider the presence of the "market and orchard" urban front in dialogue or relation with adjacent spaces.
Propose a layout that frames Émilie-Gamelin Square with a larger building footprint on the Boulevard de Maisonneuve side to strengthen the connection and urban vitality of the park.
(From the jury's report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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