Float: rest or glide lightly without sinking.
Float offers a new opportunity for social gathering on the shores of Île Sainte-Hélène. The project aims to revitalize Place des Nations as a place for social gathering and celebration, uniting Montrealers.
An experience of balance and reflection, reconnecting Montreal to the St. Lawrence River, enabling collective, unifying encounters in the city.
Float is a mediation between water and land; balanced on the surface of the water, it stands at the threshold of two habitats and floats in the space between. It offers a space for play, rest, recreation and celebration, and sees itself as a new terrain where people engage and interact with the river. Each of the four islands offers a unique experience and theme for discovery: visitors come to "Float" - to regain their balance and reconnect with the river and with each other.
Design objectives
- Unite citizens with a new and unique social gathering place.
- Honor the ambition and innovation of the Olympic Stadium since 1976.
- Recapture the sense of celebration, unity and hope of Expо 67.
- Bring Montrealers and tourists closer to the St. Lawrence River.
- Reuse the Olympic Stadium roof to divert materials from landfill.
The experience
An arched walkway connects the Float Islands and the shoreline at the southern tip of Île Sainte-Hélène, then you walk along an arched jetty linking four small islands that look similar, but in fact offer a variety of experiences for different interests. People can swim in the calm waters of a sheltered pool, dive from a high point, or travel beneath the surface to observe what lies below. As you walk from island to island, you can also stop to bounce, play, sunbathe and relax on the Float's inflatable terrain.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
The creation of an iconic and memorable place for Montreal in this proposal was greatly appreciated by the members of the jury. The boldness of the project matches the architectural grandeur of the Olympic Stadium. Although the positioning of the development at this point in the river can be problematic, particularly given the strong currents, the jury was impressed by the strong gesture of anchoring the project to the water through a collective space. The proposal responds to citizens' need to reconnect with the river. This project does not offer the best reuse solutions in terms of the residual properties of the roofing materials, but its potential for outreach is strong.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
10 scanned / 10 viewable
- PDF presentation
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Section
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Sketch
