© Raphaël Thibodeau
PROJECT DETAILS:
KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DESIGNERS:
The Art of the Table to Reappropriate Public Space.
The team of ADHOC Architects presents the project Your Place at the Table! in Montreal until October 2020 on Sainte-Catherine Ouest, corner Clark. The project was designed with the collaboration of graphic designers Maude Lescarbeau and Camille Blais. The colorful installation was conceived to safely accommodate and attract citizens currently reappropriating the downtown of Montreal after several weeks of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The layout is designed to offer passers-by a space to promenade or to sit and relax while respecting current sanitation and social distancing norms.
Reappropriating downtown Montreal with the help of design
Your Place at the Table! is one of 3 TULIPs - les Terrasses Urbaines Libres au Public - and three public spaces that have been designed in downtown Montreal thanks to the dedication of architectural firms and reputed designers. The initial mandate from the Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles was to produce an artistic installation that would attract and stimulate traffic in the Quartier des Spectacles while maintaining social distancing measures. The TULIPs are public amenities that work in synergy with the supply of local commerce's and cultural and touristic attractions. They allow people to profit from the pleasant summer and fall weather to rediscover their city. Until October 2020, the public is invited to explore these new urban amenities that are animated by a cultural program as well as a multitude of spontaneous initiatives.
Revisiting a park known for its ecological qualities by adding a social component
The team from ADHOC architectes was given the mandate to revisit the Hydro-Quebec park designed by Claude Cormier et Associés (2008-2012), which received multiple prizes for its ecological qualities. ADHOC architectes added a social component to the site of 3260m2 by transforming it into a new urban terrasse. A 100 meter (300 feet) long “urban table” was precisely implanted between the existing furniture and trees that perforate the elevated, angular metal grille in the center of the site. The table undulates under the canopy of the trees, leaving visitors to discover a succession of staged place settings and varied atmospheres.
An enhanced, friendly and safe experience
Vibrant, custom graphic signage and enchanting lighting brighten up this usually quite a shady environment, creating a welcome atmosphere during the day and night. The color yellow is thus celebrated in this tone on tone installation. This festive, joyous, and luminous color palette attracts stares from passers-by and introduces a marked contrast with the monochromatic shades of the existing park. A truly colorful and vivacious oasis in the heart of downtown Montreal, the installation invites curiosity and discovery.
The project was conceived to allow Montrealers to reappropriate this public space while respecting the sanitary regulations defined by public health officials. A large structure and graphic arrow placed at the entrance of the park signals the beginning of the project. The public is then invited to discover the full length of the table and the place settings that punctuate it with eclectic collections of recycled objects. These iconic, gastronomic objects were judiciously placed to subtly foster intuitive social distancing. The redesigned space proposes 80 seats and encourages the direct support of 22 local restaurants reopening in the cafeteria of Le Central.
In conclusion, the project thus proposes for us to imagine a new way of sharing a moment collectively and safely at the same table. Come experience the art of the table, an attraction marrying local culinary offerings with the unique attractions of the Quartier des Spectacles. Your Place at the Table: a moment of reprieve, to eat and drink, night or day, sitting, standing, between friends or alone, as a couple or a family. Welcome!
About the downtown relaunch initiative
Montréal’s economic and cultural stakeholders are joining forces to help relaunch the city’s downtown core. With a mandate from the City of Montréal, the project is spearheaded by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, supported by the Government of Québec and Desjardins. The economic and cultural relaunch supports merchants and artists and will bring life back to the downtown core, specifically the area delimited by Atwater, Sherbrooke, and Papineau streets and the St. Lawrence River. An evolving and progressive project, the multifaceted downtown animation initiative includes special pedestrian zones, redesigned public spaces, special performances, and an enhanced cultural offering. The initiatives are an invitation to everyone in the Greater Montréal area to be part of the city’s recovery by having a safe experience within public health guidelines.