Stage 2
The massive arrival of thousands of newcomers in the Namur-Jean-Talon district over the next few years will require the creation of quality public spaces. The future densification, the high concentration of surfaces dedicated to the automobile, and the demand of residents for greening, leads us to say that the time has come to create a new large-scale green space in the area.
A unifying space open to all, the proposed central park in the heart of the neighbourhood encourages outdoor activities,
encourages social interaction, and welcomes not only the residents of the 'triangle', but also of the borough at large.
Created by the closure of Victoria Street north of Jean-Talon, the new pedestrian promenade is built around the curve of the park. Commercial activities spill over into the square, offering an open-air market to residents and the broader population. Above the market, a mix of residential offerings includes social and affordable housing at the center of the action.
Conducive to conversation, reading and observation, the squares are planted with dense tree cover, and can be rented for private gatherings. An outdoor library annex on the first floor of the adjacent building provides books. A bocce ball court and ping-pong tables encourage soft mobility.
The park pavilion, with its pergola, houses the park's restrooms and maintenance facilities. The pergola closes in winter to provide a heated space for skaters. Light fixtures at the periphery of the park project patterns to animate the rink surface. The Market Walk culminates at the water features, encircled by a semi-circular bench that indicates solar time. Selected pieces about water can be read in their original languages, etched into the concrete of the bench.
Along the new Paré and Buchan Streets, a bio-retention garden collects and cleans stormwater runoff, before discharging it into the park's sculpted lawn, designed as a retention pond.
(Competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The Triangle: A green theater for social diversity and soft mobility
The main idea of developing a large park in the heart of the sector played a key role in the design and in the assessment of this project. The "ideas" part of the competition, developed more than expected by some competitors in the first stage, encouraged the jury to invite the finalists to develop it further, provided that the "project" part was convincing. This performance satisfied both parts of the competition, even if others proposed more advanced solutions for the work to be carried out in the short term.
Here, the social dimension prevails: "Everyone can gather on the same level" in this large park strategically placed in the center of the Triangle and connected to two balanced entry poles, "forming the figure of a twisted funnel that touches the whole neighborhood." "There is something magical that happens in a large urban park where all the activities are layered [...] especially in a multicultural environment." For the jury, "the most important idea of the competition had to be part of the winning project. Once the possibility of such a park is discovered, it becomes difficult not to see it as necessary."
This concept has the greatest potential to be a milestone in the history of the place and to be a good overall project that can evolve over a long period of time while maintaining its original qualities. The overall design is simple, clear and effective. There is a natural fit between the urban form of the area, its scale and the position of the park. The building typologies can be easily modulated as foreseen in the pre-project study, with a lower density in the center and a good mix of housing. The concept also offers several opportunities to weave typological connections with the existing, particularly with Mountain-Sights, where the developments send a clear message of belonging to the ensemble. To the east, the entrance building, which is linked to the square, becomes strategic. The openness of its first floor and the functions that will be found there will determine the animation of the adjacent collective public space, which already offers good solutions in relation to the intersection. The new square, which can be appropriated in many ways, is simple to create. In the center, the purchase of two properties would be sufficient to clear the proposed central space.
Despite these qualities, the project will still need to evolve on several levels. The emphasis on vehicular fluidity appears to be in clear contradiction with the stated desire to reduce the presence of the automobile in the area. The double lanes and their lack of permeability (towards the Savannah) accentuate this impression. The programming remains indecisive and the layouts imprecise, even primitive in places. Several formal meetings remain poorly regulated. Water management should be given more attention. The fluidity of the pedestrian network should also be reworked to reach the level of other services. However, these few drawbacks do not call into question the overall interest and feasibility of the concept according to the jury. It only needs more work, based on the proposed sketch.
In the end, without being the most or the best developed, this project is the one that can best trigger a positive and sustainable change in the sector. "The shape is the beginning of something, not an end in itself." "This project can really provoke a collective buy-in, get people in the neighborhood and those developing it excited about it, create a desire to achieve something meaningful." "It's the will expressed by this vision that's important, more than its resolution, which can evolve." "This project is the most optimistic, the most hopeful for the sector; there is a real bet on its future."
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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