Vivre le chantier de Catherine, or Catherine to her friends, proposes to embody the rue Sainte-Catherine through a voice and a morphology. Catherine is a character who makes the construction site a permanent spectacle, she offers us many activities and tells us stories through her structures scattered around the construction site.
The core of the site design proposal is the creation of a new public square. It rises above the street like an island, floating above the urban activity. It is composed of a gantry crane, metal stairs and a construction elevator.
Catherine expresses herself on the platform through an LED screen, sharing her moods, tips and lots of information. Catherine is also very active thanks to her robotic arm that she activates every day. As an extension of this new public space, red steel modules form walkways and ensure constant circulation around the site. The platform and walkways form a flexible whole that adapts to the work. The platform, by its height, gives easy access to emergency vehicles. The walkways form shortcuts and privileged passages to observe the work site.
The platform and walkways can be made available to cultural organizations, dance companies, theaters and local businesses to compose a rich and diversified program. Catherine's structures will dance in the street! The platform and walkways will be moved regularly to adapt to the evolution of the site. Their movement will be a theatrical event.
Graphic and narrative identity
Sainte-Catherine Street is embodied in Catherine during the construction period. The handwritten typography, the bright colors and the relaxed editorial tone create a friendly relationship with the users of the street. Catherine is our interlocutor, our guide. Handwritten typography is used when Catherine speaks to citizens. She is optimistic, teasing and sensitive. As the project progresses, Catherine will assert her flamboyant personality! She loves to tell the story of Montreal's history, but she also looks to the future. She is passionate about innovation and technology. The street is her playground, she has eyes everywhere and is aware of everything that is going on. She is friends with everyone from Denis to Jeanne Mance. She is also the #1 Habs fan in Montreal. She has her routine but always comes up with surprises to catch the attention of Montrealers!
The covered walkways make the entrances to businesses accessible and highly visible. They can be used whenever there is a break in access to the building. Their roof protects the passage from snow and ice. Storefronts integrated into the walkways are available to merchants. The walkways are convenient for deliveries, drop-off and pick-up of garbage and recycling. They can be transformed into storage space, an additional information kiosk, an exhibition space, a small café, a pop-up store, or simply a resting place sheltered from the rain or sun.
A physical place of information
The elevator that gives access to Catherine's platform is also an information kiosk. It allows universal accessibility to the platform. It informs users about the work and presents the new street layout. It is open from 10am to 10pm and is partially heated. An animator is permanently present to answer questions from passers-by and operate the elevator. Several professionals could take over this position, for example, a city employee, a historian, an actor, an artist...
Social networks
Catherine is very present on social networks, she feeds her Twitter account and her Instagram account with the latest developments of the site, upcoming events, etc. She answers questions from citizens and also promotes local merchants and businesses.
Open air exhibition
Catherine never misses an opportunity to share her knowledge with passers-by. She tells us the history of Sainte-Catherine Street, from the first department stores to the Quartier des Spectacles, including the Red Light... Catherine's site could collaborate with the Centre d'histoire de Montréal and use the content of previous exhibitions (Scandal!, Quartiers disparus...) Catherine also explains why it is necessary to replace underground pipes and takes advantage of the opportunity to demystify the functioning of a city and its underground networks. The exhibition panels are the same size and can be easily changed 3 times during the work.
Signage and circulation
Catherine's graphic codes are applied to all the communication elements of the site to create a coherent universe. Catherine's friendly comments are added to the MTQ signs. They will be placed at the entrance of the work site to warn pedestrians, cyclists and motorists of changes in direction.
Conclusion
Vivre le chantier de Catherine is a flexible and transparent solution that enriches the city's experience during a large-scale construction site. Its walkways are an attractive and flexible solution for circulating around the site. Its new public square will become a lively heart that all Montrealers can appropriate. Catherine's flamboyant character will make the construction site a warm, instructive and surprising experience!
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
This service has evolved a lot between the two stages of the competition and has been considerably enriched, particularly in terms of experience. The bird's eye view of the construction site and the experience that users will have are strong points of the concept and will make it possible to experience Sainte-Catherine Street in a different way, notably through this third dimension of height. The jury also liked the playfulness of the interventions, as well as the narrative aspect.
With regard to the issues of signage, communication and dissemination, the jury emphasized the relevance of the window displays or ephemeral stores in terms of visibility and attraction for the businesses. On the other hand, these showcases, combined with the walkways, considerably complicate the operations of the entrepreneurs due to the frequent movement of the walkways.
From a functional and operational point of view, the installations use construction materials and equipment, which represents an advantage in terms of use, handling and robustness. However, the interventions are inserted in a more ad hoc manner, and take little account of the realities of the construction site in order to lessen its impact. The jury has a poor perception of the integration between the installations and the construction site. Moreover, the plates show very little of the varied context of the work.
These punctual interventions are not on the scale of Sainte-Catherine Street and do not encourage users to cross the construction site, the members of the jury point out. The ideas are abundant, but there is no overall unified conceptual approach behind the work.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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