Stage 1
The design and development of Montreal has been marked by a series of heroic gestures deeply rooted in the motivations and ambitions of their time. Griffintown is the visible epicenter of many of these - a composite space shaped by seminal moments during industrial growth, demographic tides, the modernity of the automobile, and the design of qualities in urban living. Paradoxically, the sheer force of these gestures has rendered Griffintown's contemporary urban fabric, and in turn its urban identity, largely unreadable. With Griffintown now facing its moment of 21st century heroism, The Gallery Square is a project to renew historical and urban legibility on the site as an essential imperative - not only for reasons of historical preservation, but also as a basis for shaping its contemporary urban use, culture and identity. Gallery Square is therefore both a museological and urban design project. It is a gallery of urban historical references, notably of the site and of Montreal, as well as a contemporary urban space designed around maximizing its multiple uses.
However, the project is not simply a combination, but rather a strategic alignment of these two intentions. The Wellington axis is recognized for its historical and urban symbolic importance, precisely because of its renewed potential as an artery of Montreal's contemporary industrial composition. The bucolic park space is reconstituted as a 19th century "green lung" (with its cottage) because of contemporary ecological needs and patterns of use of the canal and the Griffin neighborhood because of its emergence as a cultural tradition of the neighborhood. The material palette of the project is a collection of historical references deployed strategically in terms of their contemporary function.
The Galerie Square project is thus a proposal for an urban gallery of history and contemporary life. A fertile ground of historical traces and contemporary design upon which the community, culture and identity of the neighborhood can continue to thrive and evolve to a new stage.
Stage 2
GALERIE SQUARE _ A museum design project
The design and development of Montreal has been marked by a series of heroic gestures deeply rooted in the motivations and ambitions of their time. Griffintown is the visible epicenter of many of these - a composite space shaped by seminal moments during industrial growth, demographic tides, automotive modernity, and the design of qualities in urban living. Paradoxically, the sheer force of these gestures has rendered Griffintown's contemporary urban fabric, and in turn its urban identity, largely unreadable. With Griffintown now facing its moment of 21st century heroism, Gallery Square is a project to renew the historical and urban legibility of the site as an essential imperative - not only for reasons of historical preservation, but also as a basis for shaping its contemporary urban use, culture and identity. Galerie Square is therefore both an urban museology design project, based on the idea that the contemporary character of the site lies in its latent histories and contemporary potentials. The design approach is therefore based on the orchestration of these dimensions to create a public space that is rooted in its own authentic character, and that can take shape over time.
Past
The site was once an artery connecting the active downtown canal. The project aims to reconstitute this axis and define a '4th' new infrastructure. Just as the construction of the CN rail line, the Bonaventure Expressway, and the Wellington Bridge marked their contemporary eras, so too can the Smith Parkway - reflecting contemporary trends towards pedestrians, bicycles and public transit. This idea is concretely reflected in the design by using continuous base materials that inhibit vehicular traffic and provide a continuous space for pedestrian access. The white tile on the walls is borrowed from the language of the subway and tunnel infrastructure, to provide a recognizable identity for the site (across all view corridors), and the opportunity to reflect sunlight as much as possible into the site.
Present
While Griffintown is often considered an "urban wasteland," there are thriving populations and cultures deeply rooted in the neighborhood and its environs, and certainly a large new population of residents to come. The project aims to recognize and provide space for the diverse interests and character of these populations:
- An urban space, which maintains and celebrates the urban character of the site, and in which, for example, cultural installations could take place
- A broad tree-lined street that provides casual use and extends the activity of the street to the public.
- A small, rich forest, extending from the site and into Lachine Park, in which visitors, nature and wildlife can remain.
- And a public square that offers the mixing and meeting of those inhabitants of the site, as well as those just passing through.
Future
The project is deeply rooted in the belief that the intrinsic character of the site is emergent. The spaces and objects on the site are designed to be multi-functional, the material edges are designed to blur, and the vegetation is designed to evolve vividly with time and act as a record of its adoption. At more immediate scales, the daily rhythm of the site is marked by the lighting strategy and the design of two ceremonial gates on the site - a daytime gate along the canal marked by the Amelanchier trees, and a nighttime gate within the arcades, illuminating and celebrating the urban face of the site. The annual rhythm of the site is brilliantly displayed along the white walls of the project, with the vegetation being carefully selected to offer color, scent and wildlife to the site throughout the seasons.
The Gallery Square project is therefore a proposal for an urban gallery of history and contemporary life. A fertile ground of historical traces and contemporary design upon which the community, culture and identity of the neighborhood can continue to thrive and evolve to a new stage.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The jury gave special mention to this performance because of its exceptional sensitivity to the singularities of the site and the particularly innovative nature of the solutions it proposes.
This performance represents a highly innovative and poetic approach, delivered with freshness. This project is original, bold with its monumental scale and white ceramic wall that marks the elevated railroad track. The graphic presentation including pictorial visions of the landscape is quite effective. In evoking the switchback, the concept oscillates between two poles: the urbanistic dimension marked by the infrastructure and the original specificity of the site marked by the forest. It is a radical way of developing the space. The site becomes a place of welcome and meditation.
The project offers a very large public space. The approach of the development is simple: eliminate, arrange and let happen what must happen. It is a line of thought that is very fair to the site, letting the site reveal the essence of what it wants to reveal.
The materials are chosen in connection with the history of the city. The assertion of the infrastructure to emphasize the railroad through the wall underlines this presence. The railroad is part of the project. The double wall allows for a lower walkway than initially proposed, which was too high. However, "compared to the initial proposal, we notice that we lost the gradient that went from mineral to vegetation." The boundaries between the two are more blurred. The lighting at the bottom of the slope proves relevant. The play of warm and cool lighting is judicious. Below the viaduct, the white tile is effective, giving depth. On the other hand, the tile wall risks amplifying the sound.
This project is very innovative, even provocative. It offers a more cinematic experience to the users, like shifting paintings that sometimes distance the more concrete aspects of the use of public spaces from the place. This project presents a rather radical aesthetic that risks being unwelcome because it is considered too distant.
Finally, despite the interest it has raised in terms of originality, innovation and sensitivity. "The concept is coherent but the design is problematic". Given the very positive contribution of this original proposal to the jury's discussions on the renewal of public spaces and to the understanding of the specificity of this place in Griffintown, the jury wishes to mark its appreciation with a special mention.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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