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Accessibilité station Préfontaine
By : COEX Architecture
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Other categories in architecture / Unclassified Category in Architecture : Platinum Winner
Categories : Special Award / Architecture + Concrete : Gold Certification
Accessibility, Heritage Integration and an Enhanced Experience
In addition to the installation of three elevators, several interventions have made it possible to integrate universal accessibility into the Préfontaine metro station. They aim to ensure easy and safe travel for anyone, regardless of their physical condition, and include:
- motorized butterfly doors;
- adapted materials and signage;
- widened collection counter access gates for motorized wheelchairs;
- the addition of access ramps and;
- the raising of the platforms for easier boarding.
In order to preserve the heritage qualities of the original station, the first elevator was installed in a new independent entrance. Also, the location provides direct access to the metro and all services without discrimination.
Inside the station, the architectural integration is sober and discreet. Outside, a new canopy connects the new entrance to the paratransit drop-off area and marks out a pleasant route lined with park benches. Used as meeting points, they make it possible to relax and contemplate the park, the new work of art, or monitor the arrival of an expected traveler.
The architectural intervention contributes to the experience of the park, through various natural phenomena such as: the play of shadows and lights; the gradual reveal of the sunscreen’s yellow-painted backs by passers-by; the roof drainage transformed into ephemeral fountains in summer and stalactites of ice in spring; the framed station views and park landscapes.
The project also integrates:
- a new public square;
- bicycle racks that encourage multimodal transport;
- a specially commissioned artwork which integrates the architecture through its forms and materials.
A simple architectural gesture, a canopy now stands as a guard of honour for inclusive mobility.
Collaboration
Architect : COEX Architecture, Éric Tessier
Architect : rôle propriétaire: STM Société de transport de Montréal, Luc Turcot