Place des Montréalaises

Au Gré des flots is a finalist proposal in the multidisciplinary international landscape architecture competition for Place des Montréalaises held in 2019. The competition was for the creation of a distinctive public square in the vicinity of the Champ-de-Mars metro station, and a pedestrian bridge over the highway trench to the town hall. A major point of entry to Old Montreal, the square is home to an integrated commemoration in the name of pioneering Montreal women of yesterday and tomorrow.

The primary identity of Place des Montréalaises unfolds in a fine integration of environments with distinct landscape ambiances, lyrical commemorative components, innovative strategies and techniques, and lively, subtle lighting effects. The proposal aims to create the ambiance of a large urban garden to the same extent that it aims to create a public square. The particular geometry creates a subtle logic that organizes the central event space and the surrounding areas. It also positions the square as a key that aligns and connects the significant public spaces of the old town and newer districts.

The floor acts as a rallying point, featuring a variety of patterns inspired by the traces left by receding water. The water square, a large open space at the foot of the metro’s colorful glass roof, is a sculpted bas-relief in which rainfall events create a landscape that is both functional and enchanting.