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Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal
By : NIPPAYSAGE + Provencher_Roy
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Landscape & Territories : Grand Winner, Award of the Year Winner
Categories : Landscape Architecture / Landscape Architecture - Cultural & Institutional Project : Platinum Winner
Categories : Special Awards / Landscape - Wood : Platinum Winner
Categories : Special Awards / Landscape + Art Integration : Gold Certification
The Grand Quai du Port de Montréal project surpasses the commission for a world-class ferry terminal by offering a large public space providing access to the St. Lawrence River, while highlighting a remarkable historic ensemble that bears witness to the creation and economic development of Montreal. The result of a close collaboration between architects, engineers and landscape architects, it revitalizes the heritage landscape and, in an exemplary fashion, rebuilds the links between the city and the river. The project dares the colossal maneuver of lowering the quay structure to provide access at water level. Every simple gesture of this project dialogues with the grand scale and thus enhances its fluvial and industrial identity.
The humble landscape treatment preserves and enhances the importance of the ensemble’s historical heritage. It is articulated in the logic of a promenade named Promenade d’Iberville giving access to the Place des commencements at the end of the quay. On the roof of the rehabilitated ferry terminal, the promenade incorporates green roof technologies to create a garden composed of over 20,000 plants, selected based on in-depth study of species adapted to extreme conditions of heat, cold and wind.
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In 2015, a major project to revitalize the pier was launched, calling on the collaboration of the firms Provencher_Roy and NIPPAYSAGE to take up the challenge of revealing the power and beauty of the industrial landscape in a composition bringing architecture and landscape into symbiosis. Aimed at accommodating the growing number of cruise passengers, now numbering over 100,000 per year, the project takes advantage of this opportunity to offer Montrealers a park that allows them to discover and appreciate the historical richness of the site and regain access to the St. Lawrence River.
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In coordination with WSP’s specialized marine infrastructure engineers, the end is lowered to offer the most direct experience possible with the river. Technically, this colossal maneuver takes the opportunity to consolidate the dock’s caisson structure. A large lawn slopes to the east, plunging 6 m towards the level of the river and offering a view towards habitat 67 and Parc Jean Drapeau.
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Since the inauguration of the first phase (June 3, 2018), the Grand Quai has quickly been embraced by Montrealers and has become a must-see destination that has already been cited by La Presse as one of the province’s most beautiful landscapes in a 2018 retrospective. The project now culminates with the completion of the tower recently opened to visitors (May 27, 2023).
This exemplary project democratizes a privately-owned landscape by opening it up to the public, a sharing that fosters inclusivity and social cohesion, offering the place to residents and visitors alike. With the environment in mind, it rehabilitates existing structures, transforming the industrial heritage landscape into an attractive, multi-purpose public space. This reuse of infrastructure reduces waste and contributes to the preservation of resources for the benefit of revitalization. In this way, it follows in the footsteps of the urban revitalization of the Old Port area, an iconic part of Montreal that contributes as much to the city’s tourist appeal as to the quality of local life.
Collaboration
