Place d'Youville

Place d'Youville

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  • Clients: Ville de Montréal et gouvernement du Quebec
  • Location: Montreal, Canada
  • Realisation date: 1997-2000
  • Concept and challenges: As the winning design in a landscape architecture competition, the project establishes a new public square over the footprint of former parking lot. The concept a “pedestrian collector” that follows the lines of the former heritage underground sewer collector that dates back to the 19th Century. A patchwork motif – Sidewalks, constructed of materials reminiscent of Old Montreal’s history, crisscross this large canvas that tells stories of the city. Wood marks the passages for domestic uses, concrete connects the urban corridors, while stone heralds the approaches to institutional buildings. The angular quality of the sidewalks directs the eye naturally towards the doors and façades of the buildings around the periphery of the square. Public art - The project incorporates a work by artist Gilles Mihalcean entitled La Peur (Fear), which in turn draws the attention to a historical monument by architect-surveyor J,-A.-U. Baudry . It draws the eye towards a monument to history – a granite obelisk entitled Monument aux pionniers (Pioneer Monument), a work by architect-surveyor J.-A.-U. Baudry.

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