Presentation of the project

The City of Montréal, in partnership with the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine, is organizing an urban design workshop from October 20 to 27, 2007, in preparation for the redevelopment of Place d'Armes, a project included in the three-year capital plan and to be carried out as part of the 2005-2008 Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montréal.

What is a design workshop?

A design workshop is an ideation and design process most often used upstream of the commission to explore new ideas that will serve to enrich the reflection and will subsequently be integrated into the realization programs. Through its participatory nature, the workshop is also a concrete means of applying open and transparent urban planning. As both a planning and consultation tool, this process is therefore particularly appropriate for urban projects of a public nature and constitutes a communication exercise conducive to the development of shared visions.

The design workshop (often called "Charrettes" in France) is a user-friendly and dynamic process that takes place in a limited time (more or less a week), during which teams of designers from different disciplines are invited to develop strategies and design proposals for a given site. During the course of the workshop, various activities can be organized to foster interaction and communication between elected officials, government officials, developers, designers, invited experts and the public.

Objectives of the design workshop

As examples from here and elsewhere demonstrate, the urban design workshop is a thought accelerator whose repeated use helps to forge a culture of creativity and develop a pedagogy of quality.

Moreover, by proposing a form of public action that introduces the idea of foresight and encourages public participation and commitment, the urban design workshop is a process that is directly in line with a sustainable development perspective.

More specifically, the creation of the urban design workshop "Imagining the Place d'Armes" aims to encourage :

• the renewal of the way we see this square, which is highly emblematic in Montréal's history;
• the redevelopment program's enrichment for the project;
• the participation of residents and the community in the redevelopment program's definition;
• the recognition and influence of Montréal;
• UNESCO City of Design.

Teams of Designers

Interdisciplinary teams of designers are made up of professionals in the field of planning (architecture, design, urban design, landscape, town planning), plus at least one designer from the field of communication or the arts (examples: visual artist, photographer, videographer, etc.).

Each team is completed by a designer from Berlin and a designer from Buenos Aires. In addition to each team is an intern, a young Montréal professional in planning or design, selected by Design Montréal.

Participants

• Alan Knight
  Professor University of Montreal
• Randy Cohen
  Architect Atelier Big City
• Anne Cormier
  Architect Atelier Big City
• Howard Davies
  Architect Atelier Big City
• Daniel Pearl
  Architect L’OEUF Architectes
• Jean-Jacques Binoux
  Landscape Architect Version Paysage
• Alain Martel
  Industrial Designer Tak Design Industriel
• Tamzyn Berman
  Graphic Designer Atelier Pastille Rose
• Raoul Hesse
  Architectural Lighting Designer Lichtvision
• Tomás Powell
  Architect Summa & Barzon / Editor Summa & Barzon
• Claude Cormier
  Landscape Architect Claude Cormier & Associés
• Marc Hallé
  Landscape Architect Claude Cormier & Associés
• Gavin Affleck
  Architect Affleck de la Riva
• Raphaelle de Groot
  Artist N/A
• Ulrich Beckefeld
  Architect Open Studio Architecture (OSA)
• Diana Cabeza
  Architect Estudio Cabeza / Urban Designer Estudio Cabeza / Artist Estudio Cabeza
• Micheline Clouard
  Landscape Architect Vlan paysages
• Julie St-Arnault
  Landscape Architect Vlan paysages
• Annie Lebel
  Architect Atelier In Situ
• Stéphane Pratte
  Architect Atelier In Situ
• Mauro Bernadini
  Architect Plan Arquitectura
• Marin Churba
  Designer Tramando
• Alexandra Martini
  Designer Martini Meyer

• Attractivité et développement
• Design urbain
• Éducation au développement durable
• Identité et lieu
• Patrimoine matériel/immatériel
• Villes inclusives

• Appel de candidature
• Communiqué 1
• Communiqué 2
• Programme
• Présentation

Other partners

• UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape (CUPUM)
• City of Montreal
• Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine (MCCCF)