As my bus crosses the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, I see a huge balloon vibrating to the rhythm and moods of Montreal. This phylactery, in the distance, arouses my curiosity and calls me to the heart of Old Montreal. Arriving by Place Vauquelin, I discover a new square at the foot of City Hall.
Continuing on to the Champ-de-Mars, I observe the play of light that seems to echo the passage of people on the path that overlooks it. These luminous silhouettes invite me towards the large sinuous path that forms a loop around the perimeter of the square.
This footbridge, inspired by the shapes of Marcelle Ferron's glass roof, links the Champ-de-Mars to the Agora. It offers me changing views and allows me to observe the animation of the Place and, beyond, the masterful urban landscape. I take a few moments to observe the walkers who seem to me to be inhabitants of the district so much the place seems familiar to them. They take advantage of the spaces, intimate or gathering, which are offered to them.
In front of me opens the most striking panorama of the square, produced by the reflection of the Marcelle Ferron's glass roof on an immense mirror of water. On the new façade along the Research Center, hundreds of reflective pellets call out to me and bring passers-by into contact with each other and with the city.
The red of the leaves that vibrate under the autumn wind bring a touch of cheerfulness. I observe a square which, until a short time ago, was a testimony to the hold of the automobile on our cities and our ways of life. The highway trench marked our disinterest in the past in favor of an attraction to the dystopian modernity of a city made up of sub-places, segmented functions, and connected by arid asphalt, characteristic of a territory where the individual car reigned supreme.
Where there was only a trench, from which emanated noise, dust and chaotic movements, we discover a place all in harmony, finally accessible to all. Surrounded by the familiar silhouettes of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, UQAM, the administrative city, the downtown towers and the CHUM, the Place is at the crossroads of different neighborhoods like worlds.
Now connected by this crossroads, which has become a place of convergence and meeting on a human scale, I am rediscovering a reconciled city that is open to tomorrow. I discover a square with a strong and meaningful identity that pays tribute to the sacrifices of the women who led the march for equality before me. The beauty of the site sensitively evokes the respect we have today for those who stood up and paved our way.
The proposal before me soberly uses all the technological tools available to today's designers. These tools serve a timeless purpose: to encourage dialogue and, through these exchanges, real encounters. These objects impose on the Square the idea of a community of human beings, able to communicate and share. Thus, they activate the Square and, through it, the whole city.
I quietly descend the stairs that plunge through the Maison des Montréalaises. From outside, I see Chloé Savoie-Bernard leading a writing workshop. I can feel the vibrant vocation of this place: this House, which I already consider my own, offers the residents a neighborhood life that was absent until now. By hosting organizations whose mission it is, it participates in highlighting the achievements of women in Montreal and elsewhere. The program posted on the outside wall invites me to come back Monday morning for an Ashtanga class. The organizations responsible for the animation of the place, the management of the Café and the orchard, are looking for volunteers. I have to sign up! This House definitely has a strong soul. It branches out into the old pedestrian tunnel, transformed into collective rooms and a library.
Continuing my walk, I stroll through the large trees providing a welcome coolness. The space is dotted with furniture of various shapes, inviting me to sit alone or in small groups, for lunch or conversation.
I look at the ticker tapes that constantly broadcast various topics, often related to the place of women in the world. A lady approaches me and comments on the news. I stop to talk to her for a moment. As we chat, I notice that every space, every element of the Place des Montréalaises invites dialogue, useful arguments and the sharing of these universal values of freedom, conquest and mutual aid, defended by the Great Ladies so rightly celebrated. We continue our conversation to the Café, a luminous building that evokes a circular greenhouse.
After this interlude, I return to the square. Before me shines the water mirror and, beyond, a vast amphitheatre that encourages gatherings, speeches, fruitful meetings and lively exchanges. I realize that if Montreal and its society are moving forward towards equality between people, it is because of the energy deployed by these pioneers and by all those others who, although anonymous today, have surrounded them in their struggle.
Jumping with both feet into the thin layer of water forming the mirror, I suddenly see the Place Marie-Josèphe Angélique, marked by the presence of two aerial tribunes that symbolize the many debates that her person has provoked. Even today, while her guilt raises large doubts and her condemnation has the bitter taste of injustice, her personality intrigues and provokes controversy.
From here, I notice that passersby are guided by a design defining an intuitive hierarchy of paths. If a quick link between the metro exit and the administrative city is offered to those in a hurry, the obvious passage that strollers, cyclists, visitors and urban explorers will take is the Voie des Montréalaises. I can see them strolling around, discovering this urban landscape and questioning the interactive installations that provoke unexpected encounters. To the west, I can make out a few teenagers reading under the apple trees, stretched out on the gentle slope of the orchard, between children tasting freshly picked apples.
In the Agora, I walk around the huge table that I brush with my hand. It is at the Table des Montréalaises, an inhabited monument, surrounded by fifty chairs, that the big gatherings take place. Reminiscent of our grandmothers' tables, everything there invites encounters: inside the table, communication links provoke dialogue between strangers sitting on either side. It is an allegory of sharing, of meeting and of concerted decision making. The tiers of the amphitheater, meanwhile, become more pronounced as people sit closer together.
An old man sitting in the amphitheater surprises me with his intimate knowledge of the Square. He explains to passers-by that around this table, the Great Ladies of the past each have a chair, and in the design of the furniture one can recognize their achievements and personality traits. He adds that the anonymous chairs pay homage to those who have been forgotten, but also to those who pass and will pass through the Square, opening other paths.
Going back up on the footbridge, I rediscover the big balloon that first caught my attention and guided me to this Place: it must be more than 50 meters high! At its foot, a group of tourists are gathering to begin their discovery of Montreal.
I think to myself that the contrast between the highway break that I have always hated and this new welcoming Place, full of humanity, is striking. This humanity is expressed by its organic aesthetic, by the presence of an orchard, the water mirror, and by spaces that complement each other and function together in symbiosis. Reflecting the women who have imbued Montreal with their will, their strength, their gestures and their voices, it has become the new agora of the show.
I feel that if the child I am carrying is to fight for the equality of all, it is here, in this place that guarantees the battles we still sometimes have to fight, that it will do so. This new, fresh, unique and finally reinvested place carries a lively civic message.
On the way back home, the memory of the meetings made in the Place des Montréalaises accompanies me. I am happy at the idea that a public square was able to translate the profoundly universalist values that characterize Quebec and Canadian society in the eyes of the world, echoing the voice of Montreal women.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The narrative behind the concept is strong. The jury liked the team's vision of a democratic space in which everyone has a place and can express themselves. The inclusive and community-based programming of the Montreal women's house is also a positive point of the project.
The large table is the centerpiece of the proposal and is a sensitive way to commemorate Montreal women. It is the flagship element of the concept, which definitely needs to be put forward.
The footbridge, with its organic lines, organizes the space quite well. However, the connection to the Champ-de-Mars is not resolved, as well as the appeal and integration with the avenue de l'Hôtel-de-ville. Jury members also note that the space is difficult to read, somewhat disjointed. They questioned the ease of appropriation of the space for programmed or spontaneous activities. The flexibility and functionality of the space will have to be demonstrated in phase 2.
In spite of the strong points that led the jury to select this proposal as a finalist, it presents significant shortcomings that will have to be corrected in Phase 2, particularly in terms of the overall composition. The concept is busy and possibly too festive for a permanent plaza and civic space such as this. There are several disparate elements and a lack of consistency in terms of materiality. In this sense, the jury members would like to have a better understanding of the role of the giant bubbles and their integration into the character of the square. The jury invites the team to refine its proposal in the second stage so that it is more sober and simple in order to ensure the durability of the installations. The jury also mentions that the concentric ground treatment is not in keeping with the work of Marcelle Ferron. Greater restraint in the ground treatment and in the layout is required to enhance this masterful work.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
40 scanned / 39 viewable
- Presentation Panel
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Site Plan
- Section
- Schema
- Schema
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Site Plan
- Section
- Section
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
