Rehabilitation of Esplanade of Montréal’s Place des Arts
The Esplanade of Montréal’s Place des Arts—a gathering place for the city’s arts and culture community—was expanded and renovated in 2018, in order to return it to its vocation as a public space. As major renovation work was necessary, Place des Arts directors seized the opportunity to completely overhaul the Esplanade, a site now at the very heart of the city’s festivals and artistic happenings—a use well beyond its original vocation.
Electromechanical
Stantec
Photography
Stéphane Brügger
Contractor
Construction management : CIMA +
Structure
EXP
Landscape
Vlan Paysages
Lighting
Public Lighting - Gilles Arpin
Other Collaborators
Fountain engineer - François Ménard
Certification
Candidat pour une certification LEED NC
Country
Canada
City
Montréal
Client
Société de la Place des Arts
Surface Area
15,000 m²
Year
2018
Special attention to redevelopment
The presence of water having become one of the main attractions of the site, two ponds were built on the Esplanade. In addition, special attention was paid to the necessary infrastructure to offer designers and lighting technicians countless possibilities. Numerous trees and shrubs were also integrated into a portion of the site as part of this redevelopment project.
The new concept primarily involved leveling the main Esplanade plateau and transforming it into a large urban parterre, more versatile, more accessible and easier to use than a tiered site.
Custom anchoring
On the technical front, an anchoring system discreetly integrated into the ground slabs—the brainchild of industrial designer Michel Dallaire—facilitates the assembly of tents, shelters and other structures intended as venues for shows and activities of a transient nature. Channels for cabling and water supply stations are included as well, which simplify assembly and dismantling operations.
